{"id":120027,"date":"2021-05-27T13:38:29","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T18:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=120027"},"modified":"2021-05-27T13:39:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-27T18:39:16","slug":"interview-highlights-cody-rhodes-discusses-how-he-workshops-his-promos-responds-to-reports-the-evps-arent-getting-along-discusses-why-hes-not-pushed-further-up-the-card-despite-his-following-r","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2021\/05\/27\/interview-highlights-cody-rhodes-discusses-how-he-workshops-his-promos-responds-to-reports-the-evps-arent-getting-along-discusses-why-hes-not-pushed-further-up-the-card-despite-his-following-r\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview Highlights: Cody Rhodes responds to reports the EVPs aren&#8217;t getting along, discusses why he&#8217;s not pushed further up the card despite his following, Rampage start date on TBS,  more (w\/Radican question)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1487660254\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p><em>The following are the highlights from AEW EVP Cody Rhode&#8217;s media call ahead of the Double or Nothing PPV on May 30. Pro Wrestling Torch columnist Sean Radican was part of the conference call.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Cody opened the call by saying hello to everybody. He said the past year has been quite a journey. He said it\u2019s been an honor to put on shows for fans, but they are looking forward to hitting the road. Rhodes mentions they\u2019re expecting a full house for Double or Nothing on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022I asked Cody the following: &#8220;Warner clearly thinks high of you in terms of your star power and ability to translate beyond AEW. You\u2019ve been part of Go Big Show and now you\u2019re starting the filming of your own reality TV series with Brandi. You\u2019ve said many times in interviews that AEW is a data driven company. Why haven\u2019t you pushed into the main event scene more regularly either by carrying the ball as world champion or in other ways.<\/p>\n<p>Cody said he\u2019s aware of his numbers and reach and he\u2019s chased those fans for a decade before the noise got made. He said he\u2019s going to keep his promise to not challenge for the AEW Championship. Cody said he made a promise and they want him to keep his promise. He said with his segment or any segment he produces, he tries to make it just as valuable as the main event.<\/p>\n<p>Cody said he\u2019s tried to steal the show with everyone he\u2019s worked with. He mentions working with Darby Allin and how he\u2019s been established. Cody said he won\u2019t break that promise and turn heel. Rhodes said he tries to make the best of what he has and that challenges the segments around him to keep up with him. Rhodes said he likes to challenge the people above and below him.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about Rampage and what the show will entail and how it will compare to other AEW shows. Rhodes said he\u2019s excited for Rampage. He said personally he\u2019s looking forward to getting people off the bench. He said it\u2019s exciting to spread the wealth and mentions AEW will be adding to the roster. He said Rampage will launch on Jan. 1 and it will be an expansion of Dynamite. He said it will reestablish TBS as the undisputed place for wrestling.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Izzy asks a question. Cody tells her he doesn\u2019t know how she got on this call. She asks him about going into the match as The American Dream and whether or not its a statement match. Cody said it fit so well because it\u2019s memorial day weekend and both men in the match are living the American dream. He said it was time to pick up that sword and shield. He said it\u2019s a one night only thing. He said he will be trying to make a statement as a wrestler and a member of the Rhodes family.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about Ogogo being signed out of the Nightmare Factory and what his potential is. Cody says Anthony Ogogo is AEW\u2019s first developmental wrestler. He said DDP introduced him to Cody. He says DDP tells him 10 people a day will change his life. He said he doesn\u2019t know what DDP\u2019s batting average is, but he wasn\u2019t wrong about Ogogo. He said he saw Ogogo\u2019s skill first hand while he was training. He said he can\u2019t take credit for training him, as QT Marshall trained him. He said he doesn\u2019t thing Ogogo is ready for this type of scenario on a PPV, but only time will tell and they will find out at Double or Nothing. Cody says he hopes he has a great showing because they don\u2019t have an official developmental. They want to know they\u2019re able to turn out and create new stars.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2497185157\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\u2022Rhodes is asked about the EVPs not being on speaking terms. He\u2019s asked if it is true and what he thought when he heard that out there. Rhodes said he chalked it up as AEW being successful and with NXT losing the Wednesday night wars that created a lot of anger. He said people need to cling to something and as sexy as that story is He said he talks to Matt and Nick every day and Omega quite often. He said they wouldn\u2019t be able to put the show on if they were fighting. Rhodes said they will remain one team going forward to TBS.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about who he workshops his promo in front of. He said he doesn\u2019t know what the term focus group means. He said he did not use a focus group and said he didn\u2019t use the term correctly. He said he didn\u2019t cut the promo on the fly. He said he voice memos them out to some legends in the industry, coaches, and members of management. He said there\u2019s not an AEW focus group listening to his interviews.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about being a father figure to wrestlers backstage and the Nightmare Factory. He asks if it will prepare him for being a dad. Rhodes said don\u2019t tell Brandi, but it has honed his patience a great deal working with the beginner camps at the nightmare factory. Rhodes mentions several wrestlers like Brooke Havoc and Danny McQueen. He says they\u2019re kids and he\u2019s proud and he will put his stamp on them. Rhodes said he teaches his kids to be professionals. Rhodes said he doesn\u2019t know how much more time he will have to be at the Nightmare Factory so often, but he genuinely likes it. He said it\u2019s so important that you develop as a wrestler for at least six months before you get out in front of a crowd.<\/p>\n<p>Cody is asked about performing in front of a full crowd at Double or Nothing. He said he expects some tears on wrestlers&#8217; faces when they perform in front of a full crowd. Rhodes said it\u2019s time to get back in front of a full crowd and the show will be altered because of the fact they will be performing in front of a full house. He says he\u2019s been texting other wrestlers and everyone is ready to get out in front of the crowd.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about Rampage and how it will be the fourth show in a week. He\u2019s asked how it will influence Dark and Elevation. He\u2019s also asked how the quarterly specials will be integrated into the format. Cody says Tony Khan isn\u2019t lying when he says Rampage will get the same care as Dynamite. Cody said this is not a secondary show. Cody says they will also continue to give care to AEW Dark and AEW Dark Elevation. He said both shows will lean into the four TV specials on TNT.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody mentions they\u2019re paid for TV content and paid incredibly well, so those four TV specials will be big events.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about Double or Nothing 2019 and wrestling Dustin Rhodes. She asks him about AEW\u2019s growth over the last two years from that time to Dynamite launching and now Rampage. Cody said he\u2019s not surprised at the expansion. Rhodes said he\u2019s always been a pessimist because he grew up in a wrestling family. Rhodes said it wasn\u2019t until Tony Khan that a wrestling company came back to a good network and became the first solid challenger in two decades to WWE without mentioning WWE. Rhodes said his vision has intersected with Tony, The Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega\u2019s vision and it creates a fluid identity for the show itself.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody said it\u2019s never business as usual for AEW with the roster they have. He said the EVPs vision combined with Tony\u2019s outlook is fantastic for the company and WarnerMedia. Rhodes said he\u2019s not surprised, but he doesn\u2019t take it for granted that they\u2019ve brought in so many casual and lapsed fans into the space.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-698079092\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about whether or not we will see Trevor Lawrence or Tim Tebow on Dynamite. He said they better be all elite because they share a lot of the same space. He said Jaguars coach Urban Meyer has been excited about AEW since he saw the Shaq match on TV.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody said in terms of going back on the road, they worked with their legal team to comply with state guidelines and it makes it very easy deciding whether or not to be on the road or use Daily\u2019s Place. Cody said there\u2019s some big announcements about touring that will hit AEW social channels soon.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about the Hikaru Shida vs. Britt Baker. He\u2019s asked if Baker wins, will she get an action figure. Rhodes says he\u2019s not in control of the action figures. He said Jeremey at Jazzware are in charge. Cody said he\u2019s terrified to see the list of action figures because they release figures that will sell, which is why Cody has been on so many figures. Rhodes said he imagines Baker will get one soon. He said Shida has been the champion for a long time and he\u2019s really excited to see the match. He said Shida is someone he sees that can\u2019t be beat. Rhodes mentions Miro vs. Archer and his match against Ogogo. He said every match could be a main event, which will make for a fun Double or Nothing.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked if there are any matches other than his that he\u2019s looking forward to. Rhodes said he\u2019s looking forward to The Young Bucks vs. Eddie Kingston &amp; Jon Moxley. He said he\u2019s a fan of their work because it\u2019s so different from what he\u2019s grown up on. Rhodes also mentions how excited he is to see Sting in the ring in front of a live crowd for the first time in six years.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about the TNT Championship not being renamed, but will there be a TBS Championship. Rhodes said it hasn\u2019t been discussed yet. Rhodes said they have been speculating about another table and says hint hint about a lot of teams on the roster, which hints at a trios title.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about live touring shows returning soon, how can viwers expect Dark and Elevation to be structured in terms of independent talent used. Rhodes said as they travel and tour, the thing that will turn is you&#8217;ll see more faces from the market that they\u2019re in.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about the fans taking side in his feud against Ogogo and bringing politics into pro wrestling. Rhodes said what we\u2019re talking about is the interview and he\u2019s shocked with how much discussion its gotten. Cody said he\u2019s proud to be an American. He said hope outweighs. He said he wasn\u2019t trying to bring racism into his promo; he was just trying to say he\u2019s proud of his wife and baby on the way.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody said Anthony is here living the American Dream. Rhodes mentions he talked about Bruno Sammartino as an Italian immigrant. He said its more interesting for the match if people have interest in the match getting behind him or Anthony.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody is asked about the challenges of keeping things fresh with more content in Rampage. Rhodes said the roster will make it work. Rhodes said he tries to make his segments matter and he hopes it motivates others to do the same. He said the wrestlers are competitive amongst each other and that will drive the shows to be better.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody said putting fresh wrestlers out there and letting them fly will be the way to keep things interesting. He said they don\u2019t micromanage the wrestlers and their promos. They go out there and let them fly.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022Cody was asked if he\u2019s done any special training to prepare for his match against Anthony Ogogo because he throws rib breaking punches. Rhodes said he is prepared and if he wasn\u2019t he would be looking up at the lights.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3421831745\"><div id=\"pwtor-3404887789\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>The following are the highlights from AEW EVP Cody Rhode&#8217;s media call ahead of the Double or Nothing PPV on May 30. Pro Wrestling Torch columnist Sean Radican was part of the conference call.\u00a0 Cody <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2021\/05\/27\/interview-highlights-cody-rhodes-discusses-how-he-workshops-his-promos-responds-to-reports-the-evps-arent-getting-along-discusses-why-hes-not-pushed-further-up-the-card-despite-his-following-r\/\" title=\"Interview Highlights: Cody Rhodes responds to reports the EVPs aren&#8217;t getting along, discusses why he&#8217;s not pushed further up the card despite his following, Rampage start date on TBS,  more (w\/Radican question)\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":24063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6163,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aew-news","category-prowrestlingnews"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/RhodesCody_3x2Charlton.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120027"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120027\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120033,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120027\/revisions\/120033"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}