Cody Rhodes Says WrestleMania Win Over Roman Reigns Will Be 'Tall Task'

Cody Rhodes says his upcoming match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 is going to be a monumental moment in his career ... telling TMZ Sports he has a "tall task" ahead of him, but he hopes to finally end the Tribal Chief's run as WWE Universal Champion.

We spoke with the American Nightmare ahead of the huge event at SoFi Stadium in April ... and he has nothing for respect for his opponent, saying, "there's nobody better than Roman, there truly isn't."

Despite all the love for the Head of the Table, Rhodes tells us he's going to do whatever it takes to dethrone the guy who's had the title since August 2020.

"If you're in the spot you want to make sure you get the job done," said Rhodes, a former WWE Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion.

Rhodes earned the opportunity to fight Roman after winning the Royal Rumble match in January ... and he says the match means a lot to him because nobody in his family has ever headlined WrestleMania before.

Rhodes, the son of Hall of Famer, Dusty Rhodes and half-brother of Dustin, says a win would provide a bit of closure for his family ... while starting a brand new chapter.

Last June, Cody defeated Seth Rollins with a torn pectoral muscle ... but the injury sidelined him for 7 months, setting the stage for his triumphant return at the Royal Rumble.

Rhodes will try to do what no man has done at WrestleMania, pin Reigns ... but first Roman has a date with Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber before he can get to Cody.