Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, known as “The American Nightmare,” recently appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show to discuss various topics, including his interest in potentially taking over as the company’s Head of Creative.
Rhodes said, “I think that’s a really tough question to answer because there’s like a performative way to answer it and then there’s a bold way to answer it. I mean that’s almost a thankless job, but then you get to be part of some amazing hits and amazing moments, and your body of work is what’s going to speak for itself years from now. So being judged in the moment is one thing, years from now. I’ve always had an interest in it. I had an interest in it when my dad did it and was a performer. I had an interest in it at my time away from WWE when I was an executive vice president. And I certainly would be lying to you if I said I don’t have an interest in it. I think I’m very interested in it. It’s just a matter of where the road takes me. I wanted my whole life to be WWE champion. My sister told me, ‘Be careful what you wish for because you might get it.’ I did. And now it’s about, well, what goals are, you know what’s left on the table? I want Street Fighter to be a massive success. I want to do more Guile, but I also want to do more film. I want to do more TV. There’s seats, you know, on the Georgia political scene that are open. Is that a road, or is this the road to stay with something I love so much, like wrestling? And anyone who’s talked to me, including you and I when we’ve had private discussions, I love this. I don’t know. I don’t know how I’d say bye to it, you know. So, it’s something I’m very interested in. Yes.”
On his relationship with Triple H and the stress he’s likely under:
“I don’t think him and I have ever had a discussion where we’ve broke down the, you know, various stresses or the various voices or the rigors of the task. You mentioned all the real estate that we need to cover, but I have had discussions with him where, basically, I think he has said to a core few that you have to not only be the best and be who you are right now, but you have to be even better. And you know who those people are going to be. He’s the head coach of this team. So you can be the best coach in the world, and you can make great players out of perhaps good players, but right now, he has some great players. It’s a matter of getting everybody on the field and letting us do our thing. And and many of us he he for somebody who’s apparently very stressed out, which I never see. One thing he’s big on: what do you think? What’s your gut tell you? That’s one of the greatest gifts to be asked when you have the experience. I often always defer because I don’t think I have a great gut when it comes to me personally as a wrestler, but the idea that, hey, you have the experience. Not only that, can you go pull that guy aside? Can you talk to that girl over there? We need this to change these details. I think he’s a marvelous leader, and I think people will probably criticize any discussion where that’s said because that’s what happens.”
On how great bookers are always greatly criticized in wrestling:
“And I’ll actually say something, Ariel, it’s okay to criticize any product. We criticize it because we love it, but being here on the ground and being able to tell stories that we know where they’re going and to this event right here, I wish you could be here with me to see we’re not getting really lost in the mud. We’re not really getting lost in the muck. There’s always going to be criticism. There has never been a great booker, Dusty Rhodes, Bill Watts, Vince McMahon, Eddie Graham. There’s never been a great booker who wasn’t greatly criticized, and I’m just very — I try to do right by him in terms of that’s the one guy who ever called me QB1 that when he said it, I got goosebumps and then I walked out when my music hit and knew what it meant. It meant cool, that’s a great moment, but actually go be it. Go do it. And that’s kind of where I’m at with it all.”
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(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
