Cody Rhodes Says He Consults With WWE Legend About Career Success
The WWE Champion Cody Rhodes appreciates the advice he receives from one of the greatest superstars of all time.
It has been a big 2024 already for Cody Rhodes after the first six months of the year. He won the Royal Rumble match for the second year and this year in his second shot against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, Cody left the match with the Undisputed WWE Championship.
By becoming the WWE Champion for the first time in his career, Cody solidified himself as the top star in all of WWE even though he had already been the most popular wrestler in the company for at least a year before winning the WWE Championship.
During an interview with The Pivot podcast, Cody was asked about his days as an Executive Vice President with All Elite Wrestling from 2019 until early 2022 when he left the company and returned to WWE.
“The number one thing I learned. As a talent, we are consistently delusional. I love confidence and swagger. You have to really know, ‘How many tickets are we selling? How many shirts are we moving?’ The numbers, socially, are so inflated. You have to really look at ‘what was the gross? What was the minute by minute ratings?’ If I ever have to look at another minute by minute rating, I’m going to pull all of hair out. I saw all that and realized, all of us, myself included, have this layer of delusion. Especially when money gets involved.”
“You start asking around. ‘He’s making this, he’s making that.’ Number one rule in wrestling, do not ask anyone their pay. They’re going to lie to you. It’s going to always jump, like your weight. It gave me a new respect. I was anti-management. One of the reasons I left WWE. I was fighting that. I felt there was an element of being held back. I learned, as I went, it was more on me than on them.”
As the discussion continued, Cody went on to speak about his WWE mentor John Cena, who Cody travelled with many times during his first WWE run the mid-2000s until his 2016 departure. Cody said that as the top guy in WWE selling the most merchandise, he reaches out to Cena due to John’s familiarity of being in that spot.
“You can’t be emotionally attached to this. That’s a big one that I’m still….’I’ll do WrestleMania. I’ll wrestle WrestleMania for free.’ I’m missing a business note. Most wrestlers, because I think they qualify themselves more as artists, it doesn’t all compute. You have to have somebody look at it and break it down for you.”
“That’s the best thing that can happen because then you go, ‘Okay, I have room to grow. Here is what I want to do.’ I get my merch sheet still of what I sold in the Garden, percentage, all this. I’ll tell you who I send it to. I don’t send it to him as ‘Hey, check it out.’ I send it to him because I know he’s going to tell me the truth. It’s (John) Cena. It’s never, ‘Unbeliavable, great job, you’re there. You’ve made it.’ It’s always, ‘Well, why don’t you check the other shows you’re not on and see how you’re doing there.’ Come on, man.”
Cody Rhodes Set For Huge Tag Team Match At WWE Money In the Bank
While Cody Rhodes has successfully defended his WWE Championship at the last three PLE events, he won’t be putting his WWE Title on the line on the July 6th Money in the Bank PLE in Toronto. Instead, Cody will team up with Randy Orton and Kevin Owens against The Bloodline trio of Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa. It’s possible that Jacob Fatu could be part of The Bloodline team, but there have been reports recently about whether he’s able to travel to Toronto due to past legal issues.
WWE Money in the Bank takes place on Saturday, July 6th in Toronto with this lineup.
* World Heavyweight Championship: Damian Priest (c) vs. Seth “Freakin” Rollins
* Men’s Money in the Bank Contract Ladder Match: Jey Uso vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade vs. Chad Gable vs. LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre
* Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton & Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline – Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa (They did not specify what three members will be in the match)
* Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breakker
* Women’s Money in the Bank Contract Ladder Match: IYO SKY vs. Chelsea Green vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi vs. Zoey Stark
You can watch WWE Money in the Bank, streaming live on Saturday, July 6, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Peacock in the United States and on WWE Network everywhere else.