Last Saturday, during Night 1 of Wrestlemania 38, professional wrestler “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes generated headlines when he made a surprise return to WWE after six years away from the promotion. While the superstar’s re-debut certainly made waves in the world of wrestling, one wouldn’t immediately expect it to also make waves in the world of video games. However, thanks to a subtle reference to one of the greatest games of all time, Rhodes’ return on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” guaranteed tsunamis on both fronts.

Seconds into Cody Rhodes’ match against Seth “Freakin” Rollins at last weekend’s show, ring announcer Corey Graves directly quoted dialogue from Ocarina of Time when discussing Rhodes’ time away from WWE. “The flow of time is always cruel… And a thing that doesn’t change with time is just a memory of younger days,” the announcer stated, echoing Sheik’s speech to Link when teaching our hero the “Minuet of Forest.”

The reference was very likely a request by Rhodes himself, as he is an outspoken fan of the Legend of Zelda series. Rhodes has in the past wrestled with the Triforce on his boots, has admitted to replaying A Link to the Past annually, and recently hosted a Zelda-focused podcast with fellow wrestlers Hikaru Shida and Nyla Rose. The American Nightmare incorporating Ocarina of Time dialogue into his big WWE return is just the latest in a long list of love letters to the Zelda series.

Cody Rhodes, son of wrestling legend “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, left WWE in 2016 due to frustrations with the promotion’s creative department. Following his departure, he wrestled for various promotions around the world, including New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and Impact Wrestling, and became a two-time world champion. In 2019, Rhodes joined newly formed promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as both an in-ring competitor and an executive vice president. He left AEW in February of this year after failing to negotiate a new contract, sparking speculation that he would inevitably return to WWE.

What do you think of Cody Rhodes’ subtle homage to Ocarina of Time? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: WWE (via perpetuallyawake, CBR)

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