Cody Rhodes Explains Why Fans Misunderstand No-Selling In Wrestling

Cody Rhodes believes fans often misunderstand what wrestlers are actually doing when they appear to no-sell.

While speaking on What Do You Wanna Talk About?, Rhodes explained that the old-school babyface comeback was not always about pretending a move did not hurt. Instead, it was about showing toughness by refusing to let the opponent see the pain.

“I wish more people knew this, but today, if you and I are wrestling in the ring, and you hit me, and I decide not, no more, and I start hulking up, right, and I start moving, and you hit me again, nope, not again, and I start, I wish people knew today, that was very common amongst territory, 80s, babyface, the idea that, nah, it’s not a not sell, it’s a, I’m pretending not to be hurting. Right, it hurts, actually, but I’m not letting you feel it. But I’m not letting you know that.”

The American Nightmare said Hulk Hogan turned that idea into the famous “Hulk-Up,” but it existed long before him with many top babyfaces, including Chief Jay Strongbow and Dusty Rhodes.

“When, as much as Hogan absolutely took over it all, but when he created it as the Hulk-Up, it’s now made it so that this thing is a Hulk-Up, which is amazing, a credit to him for creating it, but I wish people knew, that used to be every top babyface, at a certain point, whether it was Chief Jay, with the war dance. Chief Jay, when he used to, of course, the war dance, of course. Or my old man, when it’s, nope, we’re done, that was your way, and it’s different.”

Cody also brought up Japanese wrestling psychology, saying fans sometimes misread that style too. He explained that wrestlers are not ignoring pain, they are selling the idea that they are trying to hide it.

“In Japanese wrestling, a lot of people talk about how there’s not selling, and they don’t realize, no, they’re selling that they’re not hurt. That’s what they’re selling, I’m good, I’m good, and then you find out they’re not.”

Rhodes compared it to someone getting drunk at a bar and trying to act sober, saying that is the same kind of performance: “It’s like when you go to the bar and you get drunk, you’re not acting more drunk, trying to act sober. That’s that style, and so much of it got taken away, because there was one place for it.”

Cody’s comments show that what some fans call no-selling can actually be a deliberate storytelling choice. In his view, the point is not that the wrestler feels nothing, but that they are fighting through it and refusing to let the opponent know how badly they are hurt.

What do you think about Cody Rhodes’ explanation of no-selling in wrestling? Do fans misunderstand that part of in-ring psychology? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.

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