Cody Rhodes knows there are people who think the polished version of him they see on WWE television is complete BS. He’s seen the accusations that he’s “fake,” “performative” and “pretentious” — and those comments apparently hit a little differently when the character he plays is so close to who he really is.
Speaking on The Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show, Cody was discussing the possibility of eventually turning heel when Peter Rosenberg brought up his carefully polished presentation. That led Cody away from fantasy booking for a moment and into something much more personal — how people talk about him like they know exactly who he is once the cameras stop rolling.
Cody specifically recalled seeing someone, who he believed may have been JD, describe the things he does as fake and performative. He understands why someone watching from the outside could reach that conclusion, but he also realizes some people have already decided that’s simply who Cody Rhodes is.
“There’s some who have already established, no, he is — I think, who was it, JD? Somebody talking about, like, thinking everything I do is fake and then performative and pretentious. And I can see some people would think that, and maybe they’ve already decided that that’s who I am.”
That’s where things get uncomfortable for Cody. Plenty of wrestlers can brush criticism off as somebody attacking their character, but Cody says the character fans see every week is basically an extension of himself.
“There’s a lot out there that I’ve noticed. People really like to fully describe me as if they know me 110%. And because I play me, so that’s where it gets a little — woof.”
Cody admitted that reading those judgments about himself can actually affect him. He has to remind himself that people are responding to the Cody Rhodes they see on television, even though that version is still heavily rooted in the real person.
“It almost gets a little, it feels a certain way when you look at stuff that’s written about you, and you have to remind yourself that is a person on television. It’s a character, but it’s also rooted in who I really am and how I came up in the business.”
The irony is that this whole conversation started because Rosenberg was wondering whether those exact qualities could eventually fuel a heel turn. Cody isn’t opposed to that happening either, provided WWE believes it actually moves things forward.
“I’m open to anything if it’s something that moves the ball forward for WWE. I really, I really am open to it, and it’s not a conversation about I wouldn’t or I’d not be willing to, but so much has happened already and everything you laid out.”
There may be a clock ticking on that possibility, though. Cody believes the longer WWE goes without making a definitive change to his character, the less likely it becomes that fans will ever get that full heel version of him.
“So, I’m very open to the idea of if that would happen. What I think is the longer we go without that definitive turn, that definitive thing, the less likely it becomes.”
Cody can obviously handle people booing a wrestling character, but being told the personality underneath it is fake seems to bother him on a different level. When the guy on television is deliberately built from the real person underneath the suit, criticism of one can get pretty damn difficult to separate from criticism of the other.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
Do you think Cody Rhodes comes across as genuine on WWE television, or do you understand why some people find his personality performative? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
