Cody Rhodes has commented on the decision made to cut back on WWE live events.
TKO President Mark Shapiro stated that WWE house shows will be cut back even further in 2025 with even fewer events that have taken place this year. With no cameras on and a more relaxed atmosphere, live events have seen stars put on a lighter show for the fans and see everyone have a lot more fun as a result due to the pressure being off. However, as the shows are not the most profitable, the touring schedule has been cut back in another cost-saving measure implemented under the TKO umbrella.
While the stars will have more time to recover, some have admitted that they will miss the environment. While speaking with Josh Martinez of Superstar Crossover, Rhodes first noted the positives for the stars as a result of the change:
“Pros and cons. Pro is more time for rest and recovery. Modern WWE with all the medical protocols that exist, in terms of to have the best nutrition, to have the mental clarity and focus to be dialed in physically, we still very much are a, I guess toxic to a degree, there is a vanity element to professional wrestling and sports entertainment. In terms of everyone’s preparation, that’s a good thing. In terms of being able to get that mental clarity and getting your time at home, but also be able to be locked in on work. To be able to get the best nutrition, the best recovery, especially.”
Continuing, Rhodes stated that the drawback to the decision is that he will see his ring time in front of an audience reduced and added that it the only way that he or any performer can improve their craft:
“The con for me is I only get better at wrestling by wrestling. That’s a con for me. How I can mitigate it is that I have the Nightmare Factory where we can wrestle and do things and train. Training for wrestling, I never believed in wrestling schools growing up because the only way you can really do wrestling is by wrestling in front of an audience. You have to do it in front of an audience. That will be a challenge for me because I feel like I’ve slid into the prime of my career and I feel really great, but I know if I take some steps back in terms of that, I’m going to have to mitigate it some way. I’m going to have to find, ‘How do I train for this if I’m not able to do Saturday-Sunday house shows heading into Monday Night Raw.’ I think the majority of the locker room and roster probably looks at it as a great thing, and from a company standpoint, business-wise, it makes the shows when they do come to your city more special versus just being a given. It’s mainly pro across the board, I just have to find a way to keep the wrestler in me wrestling.”
In a separate interview, Liv Morgan also commented on the house shows being cut back.
Cody Rhodes Prepares For Homecoming At WWE Bad Blood
On October 5th, Rhodes will return to his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia for the Bad Blood Premium Live Event as he teams with Roman Reigns to take on Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. Ahead of the match, it appears that Cody Rhodes will have a special entrance planned.
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