Cody Rhodes has successfully jumped from AEW back to WWE, which is the first time someone has gone to WWE from AEW and not the other way around. During his time in AEW though Rhodes took a number of jabs at his former employer as part of his character work and promos, some more subtle than others. In a new interview with After The Bell with Corey Graves, Rhodes talked about the divide between AEW and WWE fans and how he puts some of the blame on his shoulders for adding to the tribalism of the back and forth between those two bubbles.
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“I feel like that fan base, that divide that exists amongst all the different bubbles, if there was any negativity, well I can put some of the blame on my shoulders,” Rhodes said. “The last shows I had done before making this WWE return, I’m taking little fun potshots and talking smack which is what wrestlers do. I think sometimes the fans that attach themselves to those statements forget that we are in the realm of entertainment, but I added to the tribalism myself, so I can’t necessarily get mad at it when I see it.”
Rhodes is far from the only AEW star to take a shot here and there at WWE, as MJF, Max Caster, CM Punk, and more have worked in nods and jabs to WWE at one time or another. Rhodes even broke a Throne apart in one memorable entrance, and there have also been jabs and jokes from a variety of AEW stars on social media.
In that same interview, Rhodes talked about his time immediately after leaving WWE, when he explored the Independent scene and how it made him appreciate the fans even more. “When I left initially and did the big independent run, I’d never really been to the independents outside of a few here and there taking my dad and watching him. When I did the big independent run, which was a full two years before it was a commitment to Ring of Honor, and after that, obviously, it would segue into AEW,” Rhodes said.
“What really happened and what I learned was at WWE I just felt like I was spoiled. I started right in front of 1000s and 1000s of people,” Rhodes said. “The lights are down, the spotlight is on the ring, it’s WWE, and the place is going nuts. I felt like I perhaps took it for granted.”
“Going to the independents, you did get the opportunity to do these meet and greets. That’s a big part of independent wrestling. To me, the match was almost secondary. I wanted to meet every fan. That’s why I started wearing the suit and tie everywhere I went. It became second nature to me. I wanted to meet them. I never felt like I fully crossed the aisle. I never felt like I really met all these fans over the years,” Rhodes said.
What do you think of Cody’s comments? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
H/T Wrestling News
