Cody Rhodes thinks WWE NXT is ‘a lot healthier’ than old system
Cody Rhodes believes WWE’s developmental system has changed for the better since he was coming up in the industry.
Appearing on Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast ahead of WrestleMania, Rhodes spoke about the changes WWE has made to how the company trains wrestlers. Rhodes personally liked the old-school system he experienced where trainees were more left to their own devices, but he thinks NXT is a much healthier environment to get new wrestlers ready to compete.
“Today, they’ve got it all mapped out really well. They’ve got exactly what you mentioned. They’ve got agility. They’ve got multiple rings, including one that has an extra layer of pad and bounce if you’re going to try big high spots,” Rhodes said. “They’ve got Shawn Michaels. Again, we’re talking about probably the greatest in the ring ever. So that’s your head coach. How could you not be good?
“The system they have down there with the Performance Center now is designed for the NIL athlete because they’re used to it. ‘I came from baseball, I came from football, I came from gymnastics.’ So they need all that. They need a room that’s a recovery suite. They need a full-blown weight room, which they have. They need all that.
“When I came up, you were just doing it yourself, which I liked because you found like-minded people. I remember my whole class of coming up from OVW, but the system now, it’s a lot healthier. A lot healthier to get everybody ready.”
Rhodes added that the introduction of WWE’s wellness policy in 2007 has also led to a change where overall athleticism is more of a focus than just having the biggest physique.
When he started his WWE career in 2006, Rhodes trained in Ohio Valley Wrestling before coming to TV. He’s now on his second stint with the company and his third WWE Championship reign. The main event of WrestleMania 42 night one this Saturday will see Rhodes defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.