WWE News: Cody Rhodes Says WWE NXT Is Great Business For Industry
Cody Rhodes should have been the WWE World Heavyweight champion multiple times. Rhodes has the pedigree and family history to be a prominent figure in the wrestling industry. If it weren’t for Vince McMahon, Kevin Dunn and the rest of the WWE Creative team, he never got his chance to shine on wrestling’s biggest stage. In fact, he was shunned from the main event, despite his world-class wrestling ability and promo skills. Rhodes was a wrestler who never got a true chance.
The former-Intercontinental champion asked for his release, shortly after not being able to wrestle at the venue his dad helped make famous in North Carolina. Originally, Rhodes was supposed to compete, but he got to the arena in Greensboro, but WWE officials told him he’s off the card. That internally had to frustrate Rhodes, because of the passing of his father, Dusty Rhodes. He wanted to honor his father’s legacy in the south; where Dusty became a legend.
Months have gone by since Cody left the WWE. It was bittersweet for the WWE Universe. He was a great competitor and beloved member of the roster. There were moments with Goldust that still give wrestling fans chills. The Brotherhood was a great tribute to Dusty and all the family has done for wrestling. Then again, it all came to a screeching halt when Goldust went on to different things and Cody left the WWE all at once.
As it turns out, he’s doing very well for himself in the Independent scene. Just last week, Rhodes was able to capture the NexGen championship in Global Force Wrestling; Jeff Jarrett’s newest wrestling promotion. He just made his debut at Ring of Honor days ago. So, life without the WWE is treating Cody, and his wife, well. Still, his career will be linked to the WWE, as he’s often asked to talk about it. In a recent interview, Cody Rhodes put over WWE NXT and talked about what he’s up to in the Indy scene.
“I have yet to have a lesser experience,” Rhodes said of working with independent wrestling promotions. “I know [bad experiences] might happen, but all the shows I’ve been a part of so far, including tonight, have had a not-indie feel about them. They have a local feel about them. […] So for me I have yet to have an ‘indie experience’, they’ve all been pretty wonderful. Crowds of 800 to 1,000 end up sounding like 18,000. I haven’t, none of them have felt indie yet.”
Cody says that NXT did a “great service to the business” by spotlighting indie superstars. Rhodes credits NXT with helping spark new interest in indie wrestling and sending people “in the thousands” to independent shows.
In an earlier article by the Inquisitr, Cody was asked about who helped in the WWE, as well as deal with the McMahon’s running the company. He was very contrite. Kevin Owens apparently was a guy who opened his eyes to the world of the Indies, as far as Battle of Los Angeles and and PWG were concerned. Cody learned of the Ring of Honor brand from Daniel Bryan, who became famous at that territory.
Hopefully, the pattern Rhodes set by leaving doesn’t become a constant in the WWE. They can’t continue to lose great talents to Independent promotions such as Ring of Honor, Lucha Underground, among others. With the recent brand split, trying to keep up with each other isn’t very easy. Cody could’ve been a great addition to Smackdown Live, for example. The WWE is changing and losing members of the roster isn’t acceptable.
[Featured Image by WWE]
