While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes discussed the current boom period that WWE is experiencing. He expressed his belief that, unlike previous hot streaks in wrestling history, the current momentum is sustainable and will lead the industry to unprecedented heights.
“With ESPN and where the industry is at, pro wrestling in general, it’s only onwards and upwards, which is new, because you have these peaks and valleys throughout wrestling history,” Rhodes said.
He provided a historical perspective, noting that this current run of success feels different and more prolonged than even the most celebrated eras of the past. “I’ve always loved it, but look at the Attitude Era. If you really look back at it, it’s actually a shorter time than we remember,” he explained. “The Golden Age of the 1980s, Macho and all that, it’s a shorter time than we remember. We’ve been cruising now four or five years, Dallas Mania, even the year prior to that, it’s been onwards, upwards.”
Rhodes credited two key factors for the company’s sustained success: the leadership of WWE President Nick Khan and the depth of the current roster. “A lot of that has to do with Nick Khan coming on board with WWE. He’s a super genius,” Rhodes stated. “And so much of it has to do with the best roster. The WWE roster is… you got Seth Rollins. The fact that we get to go do that and get to do it in Western Australia, in Perth, World Champion, WWE Champion. It’s a beautiful thing.”
As one of the faces of the company, Rhodes is optimistic that the best is yet to come. “As long as this roster stays healthy, stays happy, stays cooking, it’s onwards and upwards,” he said. “And I think the heights for sports entertainment and pro wrestling, we’ve never seen anything like this before. The fact that other people think it’s cool now too, makes my day.”
Cody Rhodes’ comments come as WWE continues to break business records for live attendance, merchandise, and television ratings. His upcoming non-title, champion vs. champion match against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins is set for Crown Jewel.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit The Pat McAfee Show with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
