For years, fans have debated whether WWE’s scaled-back live event schedule is a smart business evolution or a lost piece of wrestling culture. House shows once defined the industry’s rhythm. They were where talent sharpened their craft, locker rooms bonded, and cities without TV tapings still felt connected to the product. Now, they’re fewer and farther between.
Cody Rhodes believes that might be a mistake.
While speaking with Jey Uso on his podcast “What Do You Wanna Talk About?”, Rhodes revealed that he has personally lobbied WWE’s decision-makers to rethink the modern live event model. Rather than simply restoring the old grind, Rhodes pitched something more intentional.
“I had suggested to some of the top brass in the company, for a myriad of reasons – comradery, the reps, the general sense of working here,” Rhodes explained. “I said, ‘Run one weekend a month. Call them house shows.’ Make them almost poke the fourth wall a little bit, in terms of what they are. They’re canon, but they’re not. You’re gonna see some of the stuff you see on TV, but it’s gonna be a bit more of a mixed bag, and maybe you’re gonna see people you’ve never seen before, who are getting their first rep in front of you.’”
It is a notable proposal. Rhodes is not calling for a return to the punishing 200-plus date schedules of the past. Instead, he is advocating for a curated monthly live circuit that blends storyline continuity with experimentation. The idea would allow WWE to preserve its premium live event focus while still giving younger talent meaningful ring time in front of paying audiences.
Uso voiced support for the concept during the conversation and admitted surprise that the next generation of WWE performers may never experience the same house show grind that helped define prior eras. For veterans like Rhodes, those nights in smaller markets were not filler. They were developmental laboratories.
There is also a branding component to Rhodes’ pitch. By leaning into the “house show” label and acknowledging their semi-canon status, WWE could manage expectations while giving fans a different flavor of product. Rhodes suggested that reimagining the presentation could make the events financially viable, even in an era where television rights fees dominate revenue streams.
The comparison to AEW is unavoidable. AEW runs occasional live events under the “House Rules” banner, positioning them as distinct from television tapings while still featuring key talent. Those shows often allow for looser match structures and surprise appearances, including notable debuts outside the weekly broadcast format.
WWE still holds non-televised live events, but nowhere near the frequency seen in previous decades. The modern corporate structure under TKO emphasizes efficiency and profitability. Fewer dates reduce travel strain and injury risk while protecting top stars for premium events and broadcast partners.
Rhodes’ comments reopen a long-standing tension in professional wrestling: the balance between maximizing business metrics and preserving the craft’s developmental ecosystem. House shows historically built in-ring confidence, tested character tweaks, and created organic chemistry between performers before angles reached television.
If WWE were to adopt a structured monthly live weekend model, it would signal a philosophical shift as much as a scheduling one. It would acknowledge that repetition and live audience feedback still matter in a streaming-first era. Whether that aligns with corporate priorities remains uncertain, but the conversation itself underscores how deeply some top stars value the tradition.
For now, the live event landscape remains leaner than it once was. But with voices like Rhodes advocating for change, the debate over what wrestling loses without the house show circuit is far from settled.
