All Elite Wrestling star Cody Rhodes, one of the company’s four executive vice presidents, will be in a mixed match with partner 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 took time for some questions and answers with author Joseph Staszewski of The Post.
(Edited for clarity and length)
Q: What kind of impact do you think Shaq could have for AEW if you had someone of his fame and just the curiosity of people in what Shaq could be a wrestler?
A: The power of Shaq, if you have one of these very, very iconic American brands, cannot be underestimated. The only thing I know about (audience) penetration and just the absolute sphere of influence, the closest thing I could think of, is Snoop Dogg himself. For me, it’s really exciting. It’s actually a big part – not my wrestling job – it’s a big part of the other work (EPP), because if we build it and they come with Shaq for this Dynamite, March 3, I hope they likes everything he does and they love everything we do, but maybe find someone they would not know if it was their first stroke to wrestle, nor who we care about. This is one of the beautiful things about someone like Shaq.
Q: How did it come about? Was it something he approached you about or was it something you approached him about?
A: What happened is really what fans saw. He tweeted (in August 2020) about me and did not know me, I do not think. He just knew he was having a show on TNT and we saw each other up front and ‘Dynamite’ was kicking a kick on the body and I think he picked a professional wrestler to pick. And I didn ‘t think much about it, except, you know, our wrestlers, we like when we see the blue (Twitter) checks, and we love when we see people talking about our world.
Then you know next time, QT (Marshall) called me like half a year ago, so that’s a while ago. He called me and said, “Hey, I just want to make you aware of something.” If this is how he frames it, I know it’s going to be something about the Nightmare Factory. He said: ‘I just want to make you aware that Shaq is coming in and starting to practice. I said, send me a video, I need to see it. He did a great deal of exercises with QT with a few bodies out there that he can throw around and stuff like that.
At that moment, I knew we were in an area where this could really happen seriously. We really jumped at it 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 good relationship. It wants to bring itself to an existence like so many other things in AEW.
Q: How long has Shaq been practicing?
A: I do not have much interaction with him. I know it’s very long when he’s practicing. They sit in for more than two hours. They go from the weight room to the ring and two to three of our better guys bump around, exercise themselves and want to be there. They are there almost all night. I have never practiced with him. He is highly trained by QT. They exercise pretty often and I’m excited.
If you’re that big. If you would come in, not Shaq, if you were that big, I would like you to practice and learn to do as much as you can, but most wrestling promoters and bookers and companies do not want you to do that much. There is a less-is-more guideline for a legal giant. Not many get into wrestling anymore.
The only thing I can think of is that I wrestled with Big Show so many times. He was just one of the most valuable teachers to me. He was everything. He was a sincere opponent when it comes to how he goes about WrestleMania. He was my first taste of good politics, bad politics, and he was an angel to wrestle with. It gave me some valuable lessons. So I think a lot of Show as I thought of Shaq, they are somewhat similar.
Q: You and Shaq are the headliners, but how big is the opportunity for Jade and Red Velvet?
A: Red Velvet, this is the gold ticket. Everyone loves Red Velvet and she went on to say, ‘I’m not just going to be a replacement.’ Her and Arn (Anderson) discussed doing that interview (in the “Waiting Room” segment), where I just basically stood there like a pud, which was great. I do not have to do a seven minute manifesto. If I have one ready, I’m ready.
I was really impressed at the moment and thought she loved her to the audience. I felt like she was not trying to enchant me or was a sucker of something like that. She really stuck her point out there and walked away and made us think about it. And sincerely, if there is any doubt about who should fulfill the role, she made it clear because there were many names thrown around when (my wife) Brandi got pregnant. And she made it clear that it was going to be Red Velvet. I was very proud of her and I do not even know her that well.
As for Jade, it can upset some people, and I’m just telling you from an optical point of view, but Jade practices incredibly hard. I know she is incredibly disciplined. She is not so nice to me, but she reminds me so much of the early stages of Chyna and in her own unique way. I find out in the little interaction I had with her before she tore me up on the microphone, Chyna is her favorite wrestler. I have not yet had that experience with a student and someone breaking into the industry. For me, to have Red Velvet and to have Jade and everything that goes on with what (women’s champion) Hikaru Shida put together with the women’s tournament, we try to take all the steps at a real pace without getting hot shooting around only to strengthen our presence with our women on the program.
Q: Is the door open for the dream games when AEW’s relationship with New Japan Pro-Wrestling is once the travel restrictions have been lifted?
A: I’m all AEW, but I’m not blind to the potential of these crossovers. I do think if travel restrictions are lifted, there might be crossover games, the dream games available to us. I know in my heart that there is someone I would like to wrestle from New Japan. I did not get the opportunity and time is running out.
I’m a big fan of The Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi). I want to challenge myself and they have an excellent list in terms of (Kazuchika) Okada, Jay White and of course (Kota) Ibushi, which I have had to wrestle with so many times and many people. (Tomohiro) Ishii, my friend. There is a good potential for crossover elements and good friendly relations, but I also never want to forget that we have a loaded dressing room of men and women who try their best to get in this two hour hour, and I look always first at AEW. Just respectful of any other company, I’m probably the most cautious when it comes to crossovers.
Question: Two weeks ago, Dynamite had wrestlers from NWA, Impact and New Japan. Is there an end goal in your guys’ minds about how you want this idea of talent sharing to affect the struggle? It feels like a return to the area days.
A: I think of “All In” itself. ‘All In’ is a show for which ROH (Ring of Honor) helped us make Matt (Jackson), Nick (Jackson) himself do all the work outside of that initial production element and why it was important that the three of us would do it if we could make all these old rules go away. This is a very dangerous and powerful precedent to set if you literally put down all the bridges and put down all the doors. Again, this is all hypothetical, but there is no reason why AEW could not work with New Japan. We are aware of the world out there. Bullet Club is a big part of our blood in AEW. So there is no reason why we could not work with New Japan. There’s no reason why Jacob Fatu can not take a step away from MLW and stand opposite me.
There’s no reason why there could not one day be a potential WWE crossover. And I do not mean that this is something that has been discussed or happened, but none of the rules that exist for other places exist for us. Wrestling is actually this universal industry. The territory reference you made is pretty accurate, but the part of it that was the most accurate was that there was a real trust.
Eddie Graham and Vince (McMahon) Sr. They exchanged people all the time and made productive pieces out of it and they did it in a way where they introduced these characters in New York. Florida and it kept things fresh, because especially the 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 exist forever – keep it fresh. It can never become obsolete.
Our doors are open when the business is right, when the moment is right, when the time is right. Our bridges are down. I’ll be the AEW guy who makes it good.
Question: What is the biggest thing you have learned about being the son of a pro wrestler, that you can accept as a pro wrestler as a father?
A: My dad was very big, and that was because he was a wrestler because he was faithful to who you are. He told me about 4 or 5. He said if the teacher asks you, “What is your father doing? You can tell him I’m a salesman. You can tell him I’m a mechanic. I told him, ‘I do not want this. do not tell them, I want to tell them that you are a wrestler. ‘ He said, “That’s what I want too. Never feel the pressure to do it.” That kind of really shaped my whole childhood. I wore a leather jacket in 3rd degree, everyone mocked me. The next day I wore that leather jacket again and the next day. It was kind of growing up with such a character of a father and a bigger personality than life.
And where I grew up, people really looked down on our family’s noses because we were like the circus. He was determined to just be true to who you are, to the point where I said in that funeral home, and they asked me what you want to place. It’s like a flashback. The man said I could say he had a college degree and I stopped him and I said, ‘Just write pro wrestler.’ This is what he was. So it was a wonderful lesson for me that I hope I can pass on to my own child.