Cody Rhodes has weighed in on whether ‘spots’ or ‘storytelling’ are more important in pro wrestling matches.
In recent years, fans and wrestlers alike have argued over whether the moves in matches or the stories leading into them are the most important part of pro wrestling. On the latest edition of his podcast, What Do You Wanna Talk About?, Cody Rhodes gave his take on the debate to Matt Cardona, saying both elements need to come together to make the matches work.
“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.”
The American Nightmare went on to recall his bout with Ethan Page, followed by a tag team match where the wrestlers worked hard but had no story.
“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. 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.”
Turning to Cardona’s time as the Death Match King on the indies, Rhodes said that he’s enjoyed every death match he’s watched because of the stories attached.
“If you’re going to do the death match, as we’re talking about here, and we don’t have to circle this forever, if there’s not a story, then it’s just indulgent,” Rhodes said. “And that’s why I kind of have liked the ones that I’ve seen [because there’s been a story].”
Rhodes also used fans’ connection to Je’Von Evans as an example, saying it makes people invested in his “reinventive 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.’
“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. It’s not. It’s everything, if that makes any sense.”
Cody Rhodes Names Bad Bunny As WWE’s Best Celebrity Wrestler
During an interview with NBC Chicago, Cody Rhodes praised Bad Bunny as being the best celebrity to have stepped between the ropes in WWE. Rhodes said he hopes to see the global megastar back in the company, especially if they head back to Puerto Rico. He also gave the Grammy Award winner another nod, saying he thinks he can drop the “celebrity” part and be a wrestler, “and a really good one.”
