Cody Rhodes is reflecting on how far WWE’s developmental system has come, and why today’s version may be better suited for the next generation.
Speaking on Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast ahead of WrestleMania (see video below), Rhodes opened up about the evolution of WWE’s training structure, comparing his own experience coming up through OVW to the current system in NXT and the Performance Center.
While Rhodes admitted he has an appreciation for the more independent, sink-or-swim style of training he experienced early in his career, he made it clear that today’s setup offers a more complete and healthier path for aspiring talent.
“Today, they’ve got it all mapped out really well,” he said. “They’ve got exactly what you mentioned. They’ve got agility. They’ve got multiple rings, including one that has an extra layer of pad and bounce if you’re going to try big high spots,” Rhodes said. “They’ve got Shawn Michaels. Again, we’re talking about probably the greatest in the ring ever. So that’s your head coach. How could you not be good? The system they have down there with the Performance Center now is designed for the NIL athlete because they’re used to it. ‘I came from baseball, I came from football, I came from gymnastics.’ So they need all that. They need a room that’s a recovery suite. They need a full-blown weight room, which they have. They need all that.”
It’s a far cry from the environment Rhodes broke into.
Rhodes went on to explain that while the older system forced talent to find their own path and build connections organically, the modern approach is ultimately more beneficial across the board.
“When I came up, you were just doing it yourself, which I liked because you found like-minded people. I remember my whole class of coming up from OVW, but the system now, it’s a lot healthier. A lot healthier to get everybody ready.”
Cody Rhodes defends his Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton in the main event of night one of WrestleMania 42.
WrestleMania 42 is scheduled to take place on April 18 and April 19 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV.
