Cody Rhodes isn’t buying the idea that WWE is on the decline. While some fans have pointed to weekly TV numbers and online criticism as signs the company has lost momentum, the former WWE Champion says people are missing the bigger picture. From where he’s standing, WWE is still growing, and he thinks the current roster proves it.
Speaking to The Sportster, Cody admitted he occasionally comes across headlines claiming WWE is in “decline,” but instead of taking them seriously, he says they actually make him laugh because they don’t match what he’s seeing behind the scenes.
“But when I’m at WWE, part of where I’m at now is I want everybody else to win. We’re at this point where you hear a lot about the weekly TV, and I always laugh when I see the word—and you try not to see negative headlines—but I see the word ‘decline,’ and I just hope people know WWE’s continued on upward mobility.”
Rhodes argued that looking at a single week’s ratings doesn’t tell the whole story. Instead, he pointed to the depth of WWE’s roster, mentioning stars like CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Charlotte Flair, Lash Legend and Trick Williams as examples of why he believes the company has only continued to get stronger.
“It’s with CM Punk, with Roman Reigns, with Rhea Ripley, with Liv Morgan, with Charlotte Flair, with us, with Lash, with Trick. It’s continued only to grow.”
Cody also believes wrestling has become more global than ever before. He used the upcoming Street Fighter movie as an example, pointing out that seeing three professional wrestlers featured in a major Hollywood film would’ve been almost unimaginable not that long ago.
“I just hope fans can enjoy this moment because wrestling has never been more worldwide. And a prime example—you got three wrestlers in this movie. That would have never happened. So, we’re eating good.”
Whether fans agree with him or not, Rhodes isn’t worried about the headlines. He sees a company with established stars, rising talent and more crossover opportunities than ever before, which is why he believes WWE is still moving forward—even if some people choose to focus on the negatives.
Do you agree with Cody Rhodes that WWE is still on the rise, or do you think the criticism of the product is justified? Let us know 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.
