Cody Rhodes, one of the company’s four executive vice presidents, will take part in a mixed game with teammate Red Velvet against NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and Jade Cargill in the March 3 episode of “AEW Dynamite “(20:00), TNT). Before entering the ring, Rhodes devoted himself to asking questions and answers with The Post’s professional wrestling writer, Joseph Staszewski.
(Edited for clarity and duration)
Q: What kind of impact do you think Shaq can have for AEW when you have someone of his notoriety and only people’s curiosity about what Shaq might be like as a fighter?
A: The power of Shaq, when you have one of these very iconic, very iconic brands, cannot be underestimated. The only thing I know about penetration (of the audience) and only in the sphere of absolute influence, the closest I can think of is Snoop Dogg himself. For me, this is really exciting. Actually, it’s an important part, it’s not my job as a fighter, it’s an important part of the other job (EVP) because if we build this and sell for this dynamite, on March 3rd with Shaq, I hope you love everything what he does and they love everything we do, but maybe we find someone they wouldn’t have known if this is their first foray into wrestling which they also fall in love with and who is not in our party. This is one of the beautiful things about friction and the power of someone like Shaq.
Q: How did this come about? Was it something that brought you closer, or was it something that brought you closer?
A: What happened is really what the fans saw. He tweeted about me (in August 2020) and, I don’t think, knew me particularly well. I just knew I had a show on TNT and we had seen each other in the first places and “Dynamite” was kicking ass and I think he chose an in-house professional fighter. And I didn’t think much of it that, you know, fighters, we love to see blue checks (Twitter), we love to see people talking about our world.
Then the next one you know, QT (Marshall) calls me like half a year ago, so it’s been a while. He called me and said, “Hey, I just want to make you aware of something.” When that’s how it is framed, I know it will be something about the nightmare factory. He said, “I just want to make you aware that Shaq came in and started training. I said, send me a video, I have to watch it. He has done a fair amount of QT training with a couple of bodies there that he can throw and things like that.
Just then, I knew we were in an area where this could really happen. We really jumped in the best way we could. QT is really technically responsible for that. He and (AEW president) Tony Khan because he and Tony also have a great relationship. It wanted to exist like so many other things in AEW.
Q: How long has Shaq been training?
A: I don’t have much interaction with him. I know that when you train it is very long. They put on more than two hours. They go from the weight room to the ring and two or three of our best guys touch each other, train and want to be there. They are there most of the night. I never trained with him. QT has trained him a lot. They train pretty regularly and I’m excited.
When you have this size. If you come in, no Shaq, if you were that big, I would like you to train and learn to do everything you can, but most wrestling and booking promoters and companies won’t do as much for you. There are far fewer guidelines for a legitimate giant. Not many go into wrestling anymore.
The only thing I’ve been thinking about in my mind is that I fought as many times as Big Show. He was just one of the most valuable teachers for me. He was everything. He was a real opponent when it came to trying to go to WrestleMania. It was my first taste for good politics, bad politics and he was an angel in the ring to fight. He gave me some valuable and absolute lessons. So thinking about Show a lot like I’ve been thinking about Shaq, they are similar anyway.
Q: You and Shaq are the headliners, but what chance does Jade and Red Velvet have?
A: Red Velvet, this is the golden ticket. Everyone likes Red Velvet and she went ahead and said, “I won’t just be a substitute.” She and Arn (Anderson) discussed doing this interview (in the “Waiting Room” segment) where I basically stayed there like a puddle, which was fantastic. I don’t have to make a seven-minute manifesto. If I have one ready, I’m ready.
At the time I was really impressed and thought I was delighted with the audience. I felt like I wasn’t trying to be condescending to myself or be a sucker for anything like that. She really got stuck and left and made us think about it. And quite frankly, if there was any doubt about who should play that role, he made it clear because there were a lot of names that were thrown when (my wife) Brandi got pregnant. And he made it all clear that it was going to be Red Velvet. I was very proud of her and I don’t even know her that well.
As for Jade, this can upset some people, and I’m only telling you from an optical point of view, but Jade trains very hard. I know she is incredibly disciplined. It’s not that nice for me, but it reminds me so much of Chyna’s early stages and her unique way. I’ll find out in the little interaction I had with her before she let me down the mic, Chyna is her favorite fighter. I have not yet had this experience with an intern and someone who is entering the industry. For me, having Red Velvet and having Jade and all that also happens with what Hikaru Shida (female champion) has been putting together with the women’s tournament, we are trying to take every step we can at a real pace without heat. kicking to bolster our presence in our women on the show.
Q: In your opinion, where is AEW’s relationship with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the door open to these dream matches once travel restrictions are lifted?
A: I’m all AEW, but I’m not blind to the potential of these crossings. I think when travel restrictions are removed, maybe there are cross-matches, dream matches available to us. I know in my heart that there is someone I would love to fight for New Japan. I didn’t get the chance and time runs out on that opportunity.
I’m a big fan of The Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi). I like to challenge myself and they have a fantastic list as far as (Kazuchika) Okada, Jay White and of course (Kota) Ibushi, who I have to fight so many times and a lot of people. (Tomohiro) Ishii, my God. There’s a good potential for cross-elements and good friendships, but I also don’t want to forget that we have a wardrobe loaded with men and women who are struggling to get that two-hour time slot and I always look at AEW first. Just respectfully with any other company, I’m probably the most watched when it comes to crossovers.
Q: Dynamite two weeks ago had fighters from NWA, Impact and New Japan. Is there a final goal in your guys ’minds of how you want this idea of sharing talent to affect wrestling? It feels like a setback to the territory days.
A: I think of “All In” itself. “All In” is a show that ROH (Ring of Honor) helped us with Matt (Jackson), Nick (Jackson), myself doing all the work outside of that initial production element and the reason it was important that the three of us did it if we could let go of all those old rules. This is a very dangerous and powerful precedent if you literally put all the bridges and put all the doors in place. Again, all of this is hypothetical, but there’s no reason why AEW couldn’t work with the New Japan. We are aware of the outside world. Bullet Club is a big part of our blood at AEW. So there’s no reason we can’t work with the New Japan. There’s no reason why Jacob Fatu couldn’t go one step further in MLW and stand in front of me.
There’s no reason why there can’t be a possible WWE crossover one day. And I don’t mean that it’s something that has been discussed or happened, but none of those rules that exist for other places exist for us. Wrestling is really this universal industry. The territory reference you made, is pretty accurate, but the most accurate part there was was genuine trust.
Eddie Graham and Vince (McMahon) Sr. they traded with people all the time and they did prolific business and they did it in a way that introduced these characters to New York and then the next thing you know, they introduced these characters to Florida and kept things cool because above all, Wednesday Night War or not the most important thing we have to do for fans for the rest of this run – and I want this company to be forever – is to keep it fresh. You can never look stale.
Our doors are open if the business is right, if it is the right time, if it is the right time. Our bridges have fallen. I will be the only man in the AEW curmudgeon to make sure everything is good.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from being the son of a professional wrestler that you can adopt to be a father as a professional wrestler?
A: My father was very old, and it was because he was a fighter, being loyal to who you are. He told me around 4 or 5, he told me if the teacher asks you, “What does your father do to make a living?” you can tell him I’m a salesman. You can tell I’m a mechanic. I said, “I don’t want to tell you this, I want to tell you you’re a fighter.” He said: “I want that too. You never feel the pressure to do that. ”That kind of really shaped my whole childhood. I wore a leather jacket at 3rd degree, everyone made fun of me. The next day I wore that leather jacket again and the next day. That was a bit of growing up with a father character and a personality bigger than life.
And where I grew up, people really looked their noses at our family because we were like the circus. He was very firm about being faithful to who you are to the point that I said at that funeral and they asked me what you want to put on. It’s like a flashback. The man said I can put that he has a college degree and I stopped him and said, “Write only professional fighter.” That was what it was. For me, it was a great lesson that I hope to be able to pass on to my own son.