Cody Rhodes recently offered a candid look into how WWE talent actually interact with social media, speaking on Mostly Sports With Mark Titus and Brandon Walker.
According to Rhodes, the idea that wrestlers ignore online reactions is simply not true.
“Here’s what every wrestler does. Their segment airs. They go check their phone. Every wrestler does it,” Rhodes said. “They see the things that people didn’t like. They don’t see the six that were like, ‘Oh, that was great. That was awesome.’ It’s like Yelp. I ain’t going on there to write a good review.”
Rhodes explained that negativity naturally stands out more than praise — something performers must learn to manage.
He also shared his personal philosophy when it comes to handling online criticism.
“Never block because you just signed a digital autograph for them. Never block. Never acknowledge. You don’t have to.”
At the same time, Rhodes pushed back on the idea that social media reactions are entirely meaningless.
“Here’s the mistake people make. There’s no such thing as social media. That’s a lie. Social media is very real and people are real. ‘Oh, they’re bots.’ Not all of them.”
While acknowledging that online metrics aren’t always reflective of the broader audience, Rhodes believes there is value in reading the temperature of the room.
“You do have to hear them every now and then. It’s super helpful for me. I know when I’m walking into a building that’s going to be giving me a ‘Let’s go, Cody/Cody sucks!’ I know when I’m going to be walking into a building that’s just great—they’re happy to have me—usually because of X and Instagram and all those places.”
For Rhodes, social media isn’t something to obsess over — but it’s also not something to dismiss entirely. In an era where audience sentiment can shift quickly, he views it as a useful (but imperfect) barometer of fan reaction heading into live events and major moments like WrestleMania.
