Cody Rhodes has a message for the next generation of WWE stars: stop arguing with fans online. Speaking on the Flagrant podcast, The American Nightmare explained why he believes responding to negativity on social media is one of the biggest mistakes wrestlers can make.
Rhodes first talked about the responsibility that comes with becoming a top star. He said younger wrestlers don’t yet understand what it’s like to be responsible for selling thousands of tickets every week, but that’s something they’ll eventually have to learn as they move up the card.
“I don’t think the younger generation knows, and they don’t need to know. I understand that they don’t know. I don’t think they understand the full handover of tickets, how difficult selling one ticket can be, how difficult selling 10,000 tickets can be. I don’t think they fully know. And I hope that they don’t need to worry about it. You mentioned some of the guys, they’ll worry about it when it’s time for them to worry about it. And that’s our job. And that’s maybe why that whole thing of getting everybody ready, because we need this to keep going.”
From there, Rhodes turned his attention to social media, saying he sees too many wrestlers trying to outsmart critics on X. In his view, the second a wrestler responds to negativity, the trolls have already won.
“It’s different. And then this modern generation growing up with—I see so many people try to be too smart for social media. They try to clap back at it. They try to get in there because, you know, wrestling fans, particularly on X, can be very, very, very negative and very mean. And the moment you sell for them, they’ve got you.”
Rhodes also warned that online scrutiny only gets worse as a wrestler becomes more successful. He explained that once you reach the top, everything you say or do suddenly becomes a headline, even if you’re only joking.
“And what I wish they could understand is that you can’t get down and get involved in this. And this is the thing that they won’t find out. And you just mentioned the burden. When you get to where you want, it’s 10 times worse. When you get to where you want, everything you do and say becomes news.
And that is hilarious, in a way, but also really scary. Really scary. Like, I make jokes on my podcast, like, come on, and then there’s whole threads about it. Yeah, no, like, really scary. And I just wish they knew it’s only getting worse, so don’t bother with it now.”
Even with that pressure, Rhodes made it clear he wouldn’t trade it for anything. He called it an “awesome responsibility” and said he embraces being put in difficult situations because that’s what comes with being one of WWE’s top stars.
“But it is an awesome responsibility to have. Oh my gosh, it’s what you want. It’s the ninth inning. You want to be up. I said it on TV the other night, and again, when wrestling reflects what’s real, it’s great. I told him, ‘I’m the king of the unwinnable position. Put me in the unwinnable position.’ Oh, another huge babyface that we’re saying is a heel, but the crowd is losing their mind for, and then there’s me. Yeah, I’ll find my way. I’ll survive, and it’s also my job too. It’s my job too. Someone handed this to me, and it’s my job.”
Rhodes’ advice ultimately boils down to one simple lesson: don’t waste time fighting strangers online. From his perspective, the higher a wrestler climbs in WWE, the louder the criticism gets—and learning to tune it out is just another part of becoming a true main-event star.
Do you agree with Cody Rhodes’ advice? Should WWE stars ignore social media criticism instead of responding to it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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.
