Ahead of All Elite Wrestling’s premiere this Wednesday, Cody Rhodes sat down for an interview on the Rich Eisen Show. During their conversation, Cody was asked about what it was like to grow up not only as a wrestling fan but as Dusty Rhodes’ son.
“When I heard the first bump in the ring and the crowd react, I never wanted to be backstage again,” Rhodes stated, remembering the moment he became a fan. “Brad Armstrong match in Savannah, Georgia. After that, I was hooked.”
He shared how he had discovered his father’s bloodier matches hidden away in a guest bedroom. Cody revealed that, once he found these matches, he dove right in and watched everything.
“I found, in our guest bedroom, this chest of huge reels. VHS was pretty big at the time, but a lot of the stuff my dad was in was rather violent and bloody. It was hidden from me, but I found it and I dove right in. I watched everything, I was genuinely shocked because I was 8 or 9. I had no clue he was as significant to our industry as a wrestler.”
Even when Dusty would have his supposed rivals over for dinner, Cody remembered how “He always explained it me in a way that I didn’t mind. I liked being disillusioned by it all. He explained that you couldn’t fight outside the ring or else “the league” would fine you, or there would be these big repercussions. At a young age, I bought it. Never once did I question it. I didn’t want to question it. The show was just too fun.”
AEW: Dynamite premieres on TNT this Wednesday, October 2nd.
H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.
