Cody Rhodes is weighing in on one of pro wrestling’s most heated modern debates.
And he’s making it clear he doesn’t see it as an either-or situation.
During a recent episode of his “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast, Rhodes addressed the ongoing discussion about storytelling versus in-ring performance.
Rather than choosing sides, “The American Nightmare” emphasized that the most successful wrestling blends both elements together.
“There’s such an argument online about, ‘Oh, the spots. Oh, the storytelling. Cinema versus’ — and I don’t think people realize, it’s both. And when it’s everything, it works,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes then recalled a personal experience to illustrate his point, describing a match he had with Ethan Page that he felt delivered on multiple levels.
Even if the crowd reaction was mixed.
“And here’s the story. I remember there was a tag match that followed me one time. I had wrestled Ethan Page, and I thought we did a great job. And we had a crowd that was already a little contentious, and I was getting boos, things were happening. But I knew we killed it.”
He contrasted that with the match that followed, which he felt lacked a meaningful narrative despite the effort put in by the performers.
“But then there was a match that followed us, and six people on X liked it. It was indulgent, there was no story to it. They worked super hard, it wasn’t a matter of [them] not working.”
He pointed to rising talent Je’Von Evans as an example, explaining how a wrestler’s personality and relatability can enhance even the most daring in-ring style.
“Like, Je’Von [Evans] right now has got a reinventive style. But getting to know Je’Von makes you even more excited about the reinventive style. Getting to know Je’Von gets you more excited about the dumb thing he’s going to do. Because now you have a hope that, ‘I hope he hits it. Oh man.’”
Without that connection, Rhodes suggested, even impressive moves can feel hollow.
“You know, versus indulgence and just doing it for the sake of doing it. I feel very on a high horse over all this and I’m not trying to be, but you know, because the old-time guys are like, ‘Well, it’s not about the five stars.’ They make it so contentious right out of the gate.”
Ultimately, Rhodes reiterated that the magic of pro wrestling comes from combining all of its elements.
Not separating them.
“It’s not. It’s everything, if that makes any sense.”
