Cody Rhodes revealed that Nintendo sent him a cease and desist letter over Zelda-inspired gear he wore during his original WWE run. The Undisputed WWE Champion opened up about the gaming tribute during an appearance on the What Do You Wanna Talk About podcast with Kit Wilson.
Rhodes wore Triforce symbols from The Legend of Zelda franchise on his wrestling boots in 2013 during his first WWE tenure. The symbol represented more than just a gaming reference for The American Nightmare, who has a Triforce tattoo on his ring finger.
Rhodes posted a photo of the Triforce boots himself on X in October 2013, before Nintendo’s lawyers came calling.
While showing Wilson the tattoo, Rhodes explained how he connected the Triforce’s themes of power, courage, and wisdom to professional wrestling. He broke down the meaning behind each element of the symbol.
“I live that s***, dog. I thought [about] the principles of the Triforce, which are power, courage, and wisdom. For those who don’t know, Zelda’s the wise one, obviously Link is the one who’s got the courage, and power is Ganon. They make up the three parts of the Triforce. That’s the whole deal,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes Connects Triforce to Wrestling Mentality
The current Undisputed WWE Champion explained how those principles applied directly to the competitive nature of sports entertainment. Rhodes connected the symbol’s meaning to the physical and mental demands of professional wrestling.
“And I just liked the idea of thinking and leaning towards your own wisdom, or what you’ve learned and applying it, of being ambitious and wanting to be powerful, if you can, in a world that’s competitive, of sports and sports entertainment, and then having the courage to do it. Here you are, you’re taking a dive, you bust your elbow. You’re gonna decide to take the dive the next night, and you bust your elbow even further. I thought it was just applicable,” he explained.
Despite the personal connection Rhodes had to the symbol, Nintendo eventually noticed the tribute. The gaming company sent him a cease and desist letter regarding the Triforce imagery on his boots.
“I also got a cease and desist from Nintendo. It was very kind, they weren’t… it was polite, they weren’t coming after anybody, I’m not the first guy to have the Triforce,” Rhodes revealed.
Rhodes is currently in his third reign as Undisputed WWE Champion after defeating Drew McIntyre on the March 6 episode of SmackDown in Portland, Oregon. He successfully defended the title against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42 Night 2.