Cody Rhodes apparently has some strong feelings about wrestlers sneaking out of WWE shows early. The funny part is that Chelsea Green got him to admit he had done exactly that the night before — although Cody insists there’s a right way to make your escape.
The conversation started during Rhodes’ What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast when he asked Green whether she ever leaves WWE shows before they’re finished. Green questioned the old-school idea that everybody needs to hang around until the main event ends, which led Cody to admit there is something a little depressing about finishing a main event and walking backstage to find almost everyone already gone.
“There’s a fun sadness, which I think you’ve experienced, when you come back in through Gorilla and it’s half torn down. It’s a fun sadness when you come [back] and it’s halfway torn down and the medical person is there.”
Green immediately suggested Cody might actually be responsible for his own lonely walk backstage. After all, Rhodes is known for spending plenty of time around ringside after shows interacting with fans.
“Are you okay? Maybe that you are the problem? Do you think maybe you spend so much time shaking hands and kissing babies and signing autographs around the ring that maybe, just maybe, it’s an hour after showtime and you’re still out there and everyone thought, ‘I think I’m gonna go to bed’?”
Rhodes acknowledged that everybody handles things differently, even if part of him still likes that old-school tradition of sticking around. Then Green eventually asked whether he had watched her segment from the previous night — and suddenly Cody had a confession to make.
“I had to leave early last night, actually. And I did go to Gorilla and tell Tam Mario and Bruce, like you’re supposed to do. I didn’t just wheel out to the parking lot. For the record, show, I did. I left early last night.”
Naturally, Green wasn’t about to let him get away with that after the conversation they had just been having. Rhodes then explained that his problem isn’t really somebody leaving early when they need to — it’s wrestlers making a big production out of leaving or disappearing without telling the people backstage who might still be looking for them.
“You know what I don’t like about it? Don’t do it in front of people.”
Unfortunately for Cody, making sure everybody knows she’s leaving sounds like Green’s favorite part, saying, “But I like to say a nice big grand exit to everyone.” Rhodes pointed out that this was exactly the behavior he was talking about.
“Yeah, but that’s doing it in front of people.”
Green wasn’t backing down. If she’s heading home, apparently everyone backstage is getting a proper farewell first.
“I love to say goodbye. I want everyone to know that I love them, thank you for your service, and I’m leaving.”
Rhodes would prefer something considerably less theatrical. His advice was basically to quietly get your stuff out of the building, tell the appropriate people in Gorilla that you’re leaving and make sure nobody backstage ends up searching for you later.
“Just slip the bag out the door and go tell Tam Mario and Bruce so that we don’t have them looking for you. Tell somebody, too. Watching some of these ones walk out to the parking lot, and they’re sneaky. They’re in the same dirty sweats they came to TV in. I’m like, ‘Yep, okay.’”
Green then dropped any attempt at pretending she follows the old-school rule. Unless WWE decides to put her in the main event, she plans on getting home and enjoying the extra sleep.
“I leave early every single show. Until I’m, you know, the star of the main event, I will be getting extra, extra hours of REM sleep.”
So Cody isn’t exactly running a backstage attendance check once the main event starts. His issue is more about professional courtesy — tell somebody you’re leaving so WWE doesn’t have people wondering where the hell you went. Green, meanwhile, has apparently mastered her own system: announce the departure to everybody, go home and get some sleep.
Do you think WWE talent should stick around until the show ends, or is leaving early fair game once their work is finished? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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.
