Cody Rhodes thinks wrestling fans might be spending so much time arguing online that they’re missing what’s happening right in front of them. According to the WWE star, professional wrestling is currently in the best place the business has ever been, and he’d rather see fans enjoy it while it lasts.
Speaking to Denise Salcedo during the press tour for Street Fighter, Rhodes was initially discussing the growing number of wrestlers finding success in Hollywood. With names like The Rock, John Cena and Batista helping open those doors, Rhodes believes wrestlers are increasingly being taken seriously when major acting opportunities come around.
But Cody also made it clear that wrestling itself doesn’t need Hollywood to prove it’s mainstream anymore. He pointed out that online wrestling debates can make things look far more divided than they actually are and argued that nearly every major business metric is currently moving in the right direction.
“I think wrestling right now, it’s fun because you’re on a platform that everyone argues all the time, right? You’re on all the platforms, but one that everyone argues all the time. And I wish they knew those arguments only take place on that platform. We are in the best place the business has ever been. Every metric, minus metrics that mattered in the late ’90s, is up.”
For Rhodes, that’s something longtime wrestling fans should actually stop and appreciate. He remembers when being a wrestling fan didn’t come with the same mainstream attention the industry enjoys today, and he doesn’t think wrestling has to fight for that recognition anymore.
“And I’m not knocking any of that. I’m just saying enjoy it. Because if you were a wrestling fan, a wrestler, someone who was casually in or as hardcore as you and I, you’ll remember the days when it wasn’t a thing that we could all share. And it wasn’t a thing that—you know, the great word—mainstream. Mainstream wrestling doesn’t have to fight for mainstream anymore.”
Rhodes also gave plenty of credit to WWE President Nick Khan and Triple H for helping put WWE talent in a position where they belong in those bigger entertainment spaces. Instead of wrestlers walking into Hollywood rooms feeling like outsiders, Cody believes they’ve earned their seat at the table.
“Nick Khan as a president and Triple H as an executive and a creative leader, we’ve put ourselves in the right place. I don’t think we’re in the rooms anymore where we feel like we shouldn’t be. We’re supposed to be in them. And at the end of the day, if we execute and continue to do, as John Cena would say, good work, we’ll be in more rooms like this.”
Cody isn’t pretending wrestling fans are suddenly going to stop arguing with each other online. His point is that while those arguments keep happening, the industry itself is enjoying a level of visibility that wrestling spent years trying to reach, and he doesn’t want fans to miss that bigger picture.
Do you agree with Cody Rhodes that professional wrestling is currently in the best place the business has ever been? 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.
