Cody Rhodes discusses what he learned in WWE that may help in AEW.
Cody Rhodes boosted his profile on the Independent scene following his WWE release in 2016, becoming one of the hottest commodities on the market thanks to his willingness to wrestle anywhere, his creativity in marketing himself and linking up with The Elite. By betting on himself, Cody went from a perceived failure in WWE to the Executive Vice President of the upstart promotion All Elite Wrestling.
Speaking to Bleacher Report, Cody was asked if there was anything in he learned in WWE that he could take with him to AEW.
"From a creative standpoint, I think it doesn't benefit me necessarily, because that type of presentation they have isn't what I'm interested in. Creatively, it isn't something I lean on," said Cody. "Production-wise, I will say, having been there for the decade I was there and having grown up on television, there are so many things I was able to learn from my time with the company. So many things I want to implement; things I've learned not to do; a great deal of things that surround putting on a megashow."
Cody continued, "A lot of that isn't from the standpoint of I want it to be like this. A lot of it is from the standpoint of being a talent in the locker room. When you're a talent in the locker room, you like that special treatment that comes from being on a big show. You like how a well-oiled production is done. You get used to it. When I left, I definitely wasn't getting the well-oiled machine of WWE."
Cody finished by hinting at talent wage continuing to change with AEW. He said during the AEW Rally in January that wrestlers would start being paid on the level of entertainers and athletes.
"I'm on record about treating talent. It's very, very, very important how you treat talent," stated Cody "The hot-dog-and-handshake era of our business is over. A fair wage for a fair day is important in wrestling for our stars. So, you know, I learned a great deal about production from my time there. I'm excited to continue to utilize that."
Cody is currently recovering from knee surgery but is expected to be ready to compete at AEW Double or Nothing on May 25. He is currently without an opponent.
