Why Cody Rhodes Will Never Take a Chair Shot to the Head Again

Chair shots to the head might’ve been a staple of pro wrestling’s wildest eras, but Cody Rhodes is putting a definitive end to that chapter — and he’s got the scar to prove it.

Back at AEW Fyter Fest 2019, Rhodes took an unprotected chair shot to the skull from Shawn Spears that left him bleeding badly and created outrage among fans and critics. Years later, Cody is pulling back the curtain on what went wrong — and why he’ll never do it again.

Speaking on his What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Rhodes revealed how much planning actually went into the stunt — and why no amount of preparation could prevent the damage.

“In my efforts to do a chair shot to the head, I said, ‘Let’s do it safely. Let’s shave this chair down. Sandpaper the chair — make it feel like a cookie sheet.’”

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But the problem wasn’t the impact itself — it was a specific design flaw that caused the real damage since he didn’t think the giant bar at the lip of the chair would hit him so hard.

“We did it, and I got hit in the head by Shawn Spears — the cookie-sheet part worked when I said, ‘Swing for the fences.’ The sandpaper part worked too. But what didn’t work was the giant bar at the lip of the chair. That’s why there’s a scar on the back of my head. I could feel the blood start to pool.”

For Rhodes, the real issue wasn’t just the pain — it was the perception. In today’s wrestling world, concussions and player safety are top priorities, and visuals like that don’t fly anymore.

“It wasn’t about whether the chair was real or not — it was the optics of hitting one another in the head, what that means for concussions.”

Cody acknowledged that WWE’s medical oversight has become far more rigorous in recent years — and he’s totally on board with that.

“Because of the optics around our business and concussion protocol, everything changed. Now you can’t have a hangnail backstage in WWE without someone in the corner checking it.”

When it comes to violence in wrestling, The American Nightmare isn’t backing down — but he draws the line at head trauma.

“I like grit and violence, sure, but I don’t want it to distract from, say, you and I going out there for 60 minutes and telling an unbelievable story — and then one moment becomes the whole focal point.”

He finished by making his stance crystal clear, stating that he’d rather go through 55 tables, get hit with 20 Singapore canes, go through tacks than deal with chair shots to the head again.

“I don’t miss chair shots to the head, and I don’t miss chairs at all. I’d rather go through 55 tables, get hit with 20 Singapore canes, go through tacks — anything but chair shots to the head.”

Rhodes’ comments show just how far wrestling has come when it comes to safety and performance. While nostalgia often romanticizes the hardcore days, today’s stars are creating their own brutal legacy — with a lot more awareness.

What do you think about Cody Rhodes’ stance on chair shots? Should wrestling leave those moments in the past, or is there still a place for them today? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let us know where you stand.

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