It is safe to say that the “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes is one of the biggest babyfaces in WWE right now. He certainly has the attention of the young fans.
Recently, while speaking on The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast, Cody Rhodes shared his thoughts on being the wrestler that kids look up to and cosplay as. He called that a gift.
“I mean, it’s honestly a gift anytime you have one of these experiences like you go to the show and the kids are in the cosplay or you see the kids with the figures themselves. But I think kids are one of, if not, the smartest fan we have. In a sense, when I say that, I think they can see through when you’re not authentic. I can… I think they can see through when you are not trying to be their buddy. When instead, you are trying to get that hug on camera. I think they see through it.
“And to me, I want to make sure I never do anything that’s not authentic. I want them to believe, ‘Hey, I really am going to go in there and I’m going to make AJ Styles pay. I really am going to go in there and I’m gonna beat this guy. I’m gonna do it for you.’ And I want them to know it’s not pandering, it’s not political, it’s a real thing.”
Cody Rhodes never expected this onslaught of young fans diving into watching wrestling
The American Nightmare mentioned that he was caught by surprise with the fact that a lot of kids are into professional wrestling nowadays.
“So, I didn’t expect it, when I came back to WWE, this onslaught of young kids diving in. Particularly with the weight belts. I didn’t… I didn’t expect it. It was all just dreaming out loud of, ‘Oh I hope this really catches on. I hope this is big.’ But I’ll also say when you see all these kids loving it and you think about… I think about myself. I’m a cynical wrestling fan. Because I’ve been watching it for so long. I’m a hardcore fan. I’m looking at all the nuance, all this.
“When I see them watching it, I wish I was just watching it like they are. I wish I could just see it from their perspective and love it. And I try to share a little of that with them. And love it like a little Nightmare. A little young kid is gonna enjoy the business and enjoy the matches. And man, I look at them and I could tell, 10 – 15 years from now, they are gonna grow up and have a podcast of their own.”
https://youtu.be/z88Wz6kVwag?si=GBHvV6C8t5Mqy3TP
The WWE Undisputed Championship is not Cody Rhodes’ title, it’s the title of the kids
Rhodes also stated that the championship that he’s holding right now is what the current generation knows and loves as the WWE Championship.
‘I will give you a prime example of something that is kid-linked, not me-linked. This [points at the WWE Undisputed Championship] is their title. This is the title they are growing up with, this is the one that you see them by the replicas, have gone through the roof lately on the WWE Championship, the big WWE logo. I had said many times I really love the ‘Winged Eagle.’ I still often talk about it and hint about it. And looking to do something with it and all that. But I do know that this is their title. And that’s very special to me and I don’t want to hurt it or anything like that.”
Cody Rhodes wants to be somebody for the kids just like John Cena was
The American Nightmare is trying his best to be a role model for the kids just like John Cena was for the past two decades.
“You opened so much with the kids, because it changes everything. I don’t want to curse. I felt bad when I finally bit back at Rock after just… After just absolutely devouring us up with very non-PG stuff. And he’s the literal boss, in addition to being the Final Boss. So, he can do that. And I felt, ‘All right, if he can do it, then I can do it too.’ And I felt bad. I wouldn’t… You know… I just want to set a good example for them. And you guys were both there in 2008, 2009 whatever it was when John [Cena] was doing it. And how good John was at being somebody for the young fans. So, he used to set a good standard and I’m very happy, hopefully to be carrying it forward,” Cody Rhodes said.
