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Cody Rhodes Makes The Gym His Office Ahead Of Seth Rollins 'Hell In A Cell' Fight

Cody Rhodes looks like he’s been pretty much living in the gym to get ripped for Sunday’s epic "Hell in a Cell" face-off.

By Benjamin Bullard
Kevin Owens Being Punched By Cody Rhodes

How do you defend your perfect 2-0 record against a revenge-minded WWE beast like Seth “Freakin’” Rollins? By taking it freakin’ seriously, of course. Cody Rhodes looks like he’s been pretty much living in the gym to get ripped for Sunday’s epic "Hell in a Cell" face-off, picking up weights with an all-business attitude that, as he puts it, will finally let everyone “close the book on Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes.” 

Brimming with a quiet confidence since his recent WWE return, Rhodes sounds like a guy who’s willing to let his body do most of the talking on Sunday. Methodically moving through a weight-room regimen to bump up all the strength and survival skills the Cell demands, he’s laser-focused on quickly ending Rollins’ hopes of finally notching a one-on-one win.

“I’m stronger, a little bit bigger than Seth Rollins,” Rhodes says in the clip, serving up his own analysis of what Rollins might throw at him on Sunday. 

“I can’t say enough good things about him as a wrestler," he continues. "Human being, we’re dealing with an individual — I don’t think he has any sympathy or looking at any ways at not hurting me. Stomping my head on the announcer’s desk [at the May 9 WWE Raw] will absolutely show me that you’re wanting to play for keeps. I’m going into 'Hell in a Cell' to do what he did to me and hurt him — and hopefully do it in short order and be done with it.”

If Rollins is the opponent, though, Sunday’s hidden enemy will be the Cell itself. “It’s so difficult to prepare for something like a structure that we’re getting ready to encounter,” Rhodes explains. “Because it’s not just the hype. It’s not just the fact that you’re locked in there with one of the absolute best wrestlers in the world. Just chain link itself. How many people realize chain link? — It’s not rubber. Every little piece of 'Hell in a Cell' can hurt you.”

That’s where all those weight-room pull-ups, front raises, and shrugs come in — because relying on a pristine record against Rollins, Rhodes admits, won’t be enough on its own. “I take it so seriously. I don’t know how else to do it. I’ll never care less. I have to give it all," he says.

Two WWE "Raw" stars will enter, but only one winner can emerge. After punching Rollins’ ticket at both WrestleMania and WrestleMania Backlash, will Rhodes put him in the rear-view once and for all? Get locked in on Sunday, June 5, when Hell in a Cell 2022 kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, and pay-per-view.