Even WWE’s Biggest Star Wasn’t Safe From Nintendo’s Lawyers
WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes recently revealed that Nintendo sent him a cease and desist letter for wearing The Legend of Zelda’s iconic Triforce symbol on his wrestling boots. During his first WWE run in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Rhodes occasionally displayed the Triforce on his ring gear, drawn to the symbol’s representation of the gaming franchise’s core principles: power, courage, and wisdom.
In an episode of his podcast “What Do You Wanna Talk About?,” Rhodes explained the circumstances to fellow wrestler Kit Wilson. He clarified that Nintendo’s legal action was handled politely, noting that “they weren’t coming after anybody” and that he wasn’t the first performer to wear the symbol. Despite the cease and desist, Rhodes’ affinity for Zelda remains strong—he now sports a permanent Triforce tattoo on his ring finger.
The incident highlights the ongoing tension between intellectual property protection and fan expression in popular culture, particularly where gaming and entertainment overlap. While wrestling and gaming have maintained a symbiotic relationship with performers incorporating video game elements into their personas and aesthetics, this case demonstrates that even the biggest stars aren’t exempt from intellectual property enforcement by major publishers like Nintendo.