Cody Rhodes already knows that his days taking bumps inside a WWE ring have an expiration date, but he doesn’t plan on spending the final stretch of his career only working with established names. The American Nightmare says one of the biggest lessons he took from John Cena’s retirement run was knowing when to take a gamble on someone who might just become WWE’s next major star.
Speaking to WrestleTalk, Rhodes was asked what he learned from Cena’s retirement and whether there was anything he wanted to carry into his own eventual farewell. Cody has already admitted that his retirement could come “sooner than later,” with his daughter’s age playing a major role in his timeline, but Cena showed him more than just when to walk away.
Rhodes first pointed to how definitive Cena was about his retirement. As far as Cody is concerned, when Cena says he is finished wrestling, he actually means it.
“I have given you everything. This is all I have. Anything else wouldn’t be right. And when John says he will never wrestle again, he really means it. So that finality was beautiful.”
There was another part of Cena’s exit that stuck with Rhodes even more when it comes to the future of WWE. Cody brought up Cena, AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar while explaining that established stars eventually have to be willing to put themselves in situations where the other person isn’t necessarily a guaranteed success.
“And then the other thing that he did, that AJ did, that Brock did, that continues to be done is I hope that I’m not afraid to take a risk, to take a gamble.”
That gamble doesn’t mean randomly throwing someone into the deep end. Rhodes explained that some wrestlers will already look like obvious candidates to carry WWE forward, but he also wants to leave room for the people who haven’t completely proven themselves yet.
“Hey, he’s doing all right. Let’s do that one and let’s do that one. The model he set was not only sure bets, which there never is or guarantees—there never really is—but guys you could be pretty confident could take the torch, could carry the flame, but also a few in there that, let’s see.”
That philosophy lines up with the way Cena has talked about life after his own in-ring career. Cena has made it clear that he still wants to help WWE develop and elevate future stars even after retirement, rather than simply walking away from the company completely.
For Cody, the most interesting part is that “let’s see” moment. A wrestler can look good on paper, have the crowd behind them and appear ready for a bigger opportunity, but there is only one way to find out whether they can actually become the next face of the company.
“And that’s one of the most beautiful things about pro wrestling and sports entertainment, no matter where you are, is when you see somebody out there in their ‘let’s see’ moment.”
Rhodes then laid out exactly what he would be looking for when giving someone that opportunity.
“Can they go? Can they be the next face, the next person to lead us and bring us together as wrestling is supposed to do.”
That is a much different approach than simply building a retirement tour around the biggest possible names. Rhodes clearly understands the attraction of marquee matches, but he also sees value in using his position to find out whether somebody lower on the ladder can handle being placed across the ring from one of WWE’s biggest stars.
Cody has been thinking a lot more about what the end of his career will look like. He recently re-signed with WWE and explained how his thoughts about retirement have evolved, especially after watching veterans find meaningful roles behind the scenes once their full-time in-ring careers were over.
His comments also come during a period where WWE has already watched several major names reach the end of their careers. AJ Styles has even made it clear that retirement doesn’t necessarily prevent him from coming back if he ever changes his mind, while Cody has previously admitted he isn’t exactly thrilled about watching so many veterans leave.
Rhodes isn’t at the farewell-tour stage yet, but he’s clearly thinking about what he wants his final years to accomplish. Winning championships and landing huge matches will always matter, but Cody also wants to find out who can grab the torch when somebody finally gives them a real chance to reach for it.
When Cody Rhodes eventually reaches the end, it sounds like he wants to leave WWE with more than a retirement speech and a collection of dream matches. If he can gamble on a few wrestlers along the way and discover somebody capable of becoming the company’s next centerpiece, that may end up being one of the biggest pieces of his legacy.
Who do you think Cody Rhodes should take a gamble on and give a major opportunity before his in-ring career comes to an end? Could WWE’s next face already be on the roster waiting for that “let’s see” moment? Let us know what you think in the comments.
