Cody Rhodes has been reflecting on the legacy of one of WWE’s biggest stars, AJ Styles, and what his retirement means for the future of the company.
Styles, who retired following the Royal Rumble, is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 42 weekend. A special tribute aired on Raw in Atlanta, with Rhodes there to honor Styles’ career and contributions to professional wrestling.
“He changed the way we do pro wrestling,” Rhodes told Mostly Sports with Brandon Walker (see video below). “And he also showed people what you can do — I felt like when he came back in Orlando for the Royal Rumble [2016], he could have retired around that period of time, and he had an entire two or three runs. And pound-for-pound, if we’re talking about the measuring contest and these things like that, pound-for-pound, that guy might be the strongest guy in wrestling. I mean, genuinely a super athlete.”
Rhodes noted that Styles’ retirement has him thinking about the new wave of talent in WWE, particularly rising star Je’Von Evans.
“Which is why I’ve been thinking about Je’Von [Evans] a lot too, because he’s changing the nature of how these things go,” Rhodes said. “And he’s in there with guys who don’t wrestle like him. Will we adjust? Will he adjust? How’s it going to go? But I’m very happy for AJ. He was genuinely surprised. I love what we’re doing with The Undertaker [telling people they’re going into the Hall of Fame].”
Cody Rhodes competes with Je’Von Evans and others in the Men’s Elimination Chamber match this Saturday at WWE Elimination Chamber: Chicago.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 2/28 for live WWE Elimination Chamber results coverage.
