Ahead of WWE WrestleMania 39, Ariel Helwani spoke with Cody Rhodes about his big upcoming title match with Roman Reigns, AEW and other topics.
Cody was asked if anybody in AEW asks him what it’s like to be in WWE:
“I’m kind of generic with the advice I give, if that makes any sense. I don’t get specific with anybody. No one has reached flat out and said, ‘How can I get there and what do I need to do?’ Most of It’s been. ‘Hey, this is great, but can you still watch my promo from Dark and tell me if it was any good?’ Most of it is that stuff, which is, ‘Oh, sure. You know, great. I can help with that.’ But thankfully, I haven’t been put in that situation where somebody flat out says, ‘Hey, can you get me a conversation, or can you get me in this room’, because I’d have to say no. That’s just too morally of an icky area for me. I’d have to deflect and send them somewhere else just because they’re gonna find their own way here, or there, or elsewhere on their own and on their own talent.”
On if he thinks MJF would be a big star in WWE:
“I think he would be a big star anywhere. I think he has all the tools because he’s so young. He has all the tools to develop and you’re not seeing his final form yet. His final form is probably gonna be 10 years from now, like, that’s who he is. But that all depends on if he sticks to the good side of this and doesn’t lose his head and his ego doesn’t get too big. I’m just talking about the man, not the character, and still has a passion. Sometimes your passion can wane. He’s one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met. So if he keeps the passion, sure, adjustments wise to come here, he’s already doing it. As you see, he’s putting on some musculature if that’s the word. But, if you’re gonna develop and put on muscle because you have to here because what happens if you don’t and you’re standing across from Drew McIntyre, you’re gonna look like a clown because that guy’s a monster. You have to, and sometimes it’s in the presentation. You know, it’s okay if you got a little heel in your boot. You’ve got to do all those things and that might be one thing that he’d have to work on a little bit just to make sure that he’s not considered small. I don’t think he’s small, but just that be a thing. But you know, if that happens for him, great.”
If he would like to see MJF come to WWE:
“If it makes him happy. I want him to be happy. That’s honestly it. If it makes him happy, I want him to be happy. Also, my career is my thing, right? I have a nice team of people around me, but in the end, it’s mine. One thing I’ve noticed about him, his family is very involved in what he does, and I think he’s kind of, even as a young man, is kind of defacto becoming like the patriarch of that. So when that’s the case, you’ve got to take care of all your people too, and do right by them. So if it makes him happy to be there, great. If it makes him happy to be here, he just needs to be happy.”
On if him disliking Seth Rollins is a shoot:
“I’m not gonna fight Seth backstage. We’re not gonna walk by each other and fight each other. I’m not gonna throw a water bottle as I walk by him, but we really do not like one another. I don’t think there’s a specific reason other than perhaps professional jealousy. I was very jealous of him. I watched the heist of the century. It’s one of the most amazing WrestleMania moments of all time. Now we’re in a situation where he’s wrestling Logan Paul in a huge marquee matchup and I’m on top of the card, so I think maybe it’s shifted a bit. I can’t speak for him. You might want to ask him. I like Becky. She’s great and wonderful, but yeah, he and I do not like each other. I don’t think we’ve ever liked one another. I’m gonna go ahead and say it’s just a lifelong dislike. We don’t say hate. No hate. Yeah, a lot of respect, though. I often tell people I think he’s one of the top three in the world. I really, really do.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Ariel Helwani on BT Sport with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
