During a recent appearance on the “After the Bell with Corey Graves” podcast, WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes commented on the fan criticism of his departure from AEW, the biggest lesson he learned during his time away from WWE, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On the biggest lesson he learned during his time away from WWE: “At WWE, I was spoiled. I started right in front of thousands and thousands of people. The lights are down, the spotlight is on the ring, it’s WWE, the place is going nuts, and I felt like I perhaps took it for granted. Go to the independents and even with the large crowd, the independents at the time were booming and they’re doing good again right now, but you did get the opportunity to do these meet and greets. That’s a big part of independent wrestling. To me, the match was almost secondary. I wanted to meet every fan. That’s why I started wearing a suit and tie everywhere I went, it became second nature to me. I never felt like I really crossed the aisle, and I never felt like I really met all these fans over the years because you see the power of television when you travel around and do that loop like I did. That’s also where I developed what I would call a bad habit and a habit that a lot of people disagree with. I will stay out there until I meet every single fan, until I take every single picture, until I sign every autograph. It’s because that’s what brought me to the dance. I left as Stardust, and part of becoming the American Nightmare and every aspect of it, that was really genuinely connecting with the fanbase and not just taking it for granted that people liked me or disliked me. Actually connect with them. That was the No. 1 thing I got out of the whole run.”
On fan criticism of his AEW exit: “It initially was unanimously positive. I feel like that fanbase, that divide that exists amongst all the different bubbles, if there was any negativity, well I can put some of the blame on my shoulders. Again, the last shows I had done before taking this WWE return, I’m taking little fun potshots and talking smack which is what wrestlers do. I think sometimes the fans attach themselves to those statements and forget that we are in the realm of entertainment. I added to the tribalism myself so I can’t necessarily get mad at it when I see it. It was unique to see a lot of people burning like my old AEW shirts which was a trend for a few days on social, so it felt like you were kind of leaving a sports team. It didn’t break my heart, but I thought it was odd because the place doesn’t exist without me. There are other people that needed to be there for it to exist for sure, but I am one of the people that that place exists because of. AEW exists partially because of me. I saw a few times the term ‘sold out’ and I thought like, ‘You have this, it’s great.”
(h/t – 411 Wrestling)
