Anderson was then asked about another one of his mentees, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, and specifically for his feelings on his match with Cena at SummerSlam. Trying to quantify his level of pride for the work the two put forth that night, Anderson took a familial angle. “Like a doting uncle.” In a Street Fight that featured multiple AAs, Cross Rhodes, and several other finishing moves, Rhodes would be successful in defending his title before leaving the ring for Cena to celebrate with fans (only to be attacked by a returning Brock Lesnar).

With regard to Rhodes, who Anderson has mentored well before their time together in AEW, he dug a bit deeper to comment on his larger journey and his position as the legendary Dusty Rhodes’ son. “[I’m] very, very proud of him because he did it the right way,” Anderson said. “He had a tough road to climb being Dusty Rhodes’ son. Most people don’t realize he’s always gonna be compared to his dad. That’s not fair because nothing about him is like his dad was.”

But maybe “nothing” isn’t entirely accurate. As Anderson continued, he did draw one distinct parallel between “The American Dream” and “The American Nightmare.” “They were both megastars in different ways, different eras, and different times in the business,” he explained. But from a bottom line perspective, now looking back on all that Rhodes has accomplished, according to Anderson, his close friend Dusty would be smiling in approval. “I would just say his dad would be very proud. Very proud.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.