Hours after the groundbreaking partnership between WWE and ESPN was announced, new Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter to discuss the deal. Rhodes called the partnership a “perfect match” and a continuation of WWE’s plan for massive growth, while also reflecting on his historic main event win over John Cena at SummerSlam.
A “Perfect Match” with ESPN
Rhodes expressed his excitement about WWE’s Premium Live Events moving to ESPN platforms in 2026. “The fact that we can now have, you know, the Royal Rumble, Money In The Bank you mentioned, and, of course, our biggest event, Wrestlemania, going to be on ESPN platforms… that that’s the perfect match,” he said. “WWE sports entertainment, and ESPN is the king of sports media, the one. So it’s perfect.”
Keeping the Secret
He confirmed that the deal was kept a closely guarded secret from the talent roster, revealing he was only told to be available for a major announcement. “We were all put on standby. No Nick Khan and Triple H… they just gave me the Iggy. He said, ‘hey, you know, I know you’re gonna be on vacation, but just be be ready… There’s something’s gonna happen on Wednesday,'” Rhodes recalled. “And look at this, to be part of this family. What an honor.”
Not at “Peak” Yet
Rhodes explained that this move is part of the company’s aggressive growth strategy under the leadership of Nick Khan and Paul “Triple H” Levesque. “It wasn’t too long ago… they had us all together, brought this big talent meeting, and it was all about WWE has broken every record that we ever had. We beat the Attitude Era. We beat the golden age of the 80s. But it’s not peak yet,” he stated. “He wanted to keep climbing. We wanted to keep growing, and this is just a further extension of that.”
Reflecting on a “Special” SummerSlam
Coming off his victory over John Cena in a Street Fight, Rhodes reflected on the first-ever two-night SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium. “We had 114,000 people over both days,” he said. “Here we are. We’re going on last Sunday. It’s John Cena and his final SummerSlam… to have a moment like that with them? That’s the stadium I’ll remember forever.”
Paying Homage to Cena’s Legacy
Rhodes spoke about the significance of sharing the ring with Cena during this transformative time for WWE. “John was with WWE, the face of WWE… throughout a period of time where things like this weren’t happening, and he really just carried it almost through the wilderness,” he explained. “And now the fact that he can be there when we’re doing our first two night SummerSlam, when a few days later we’re announcing this wonderful connection with ESPN… I’m glad he gets to see all that, because he always put it all in his hands.”
As the new Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes is one of the faces of the company as it heads into this new era with ESPN. The full interview can be seen on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
