In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet as part of the INSIGHT With Chris Van Vliet podcast, WWE RAW superstar Cody Rhodes discussed several topics, including what has changed in the company since his return.
“Well, the schedule at WWE, like first out of the gate when you think of returning to WWE, you think of what that schedule can be. It’s very daunting, because they’re trying to cover everywhere on the map. And then wherever the TV goes, WWE goes.
The schedule has been lessened, there’s a healthier schedule. I mean, I’m literally thinking of all the things that are different. The live events are branded now, you know, Saturday Night’s Main Event, Sunday Stunner, the VIP element that’s around the ring. I don’t know if people realize this who only see Raw or SmackDown. At the live events, this VIP service that they offer is just the best bang for your buck, they’ve figured it out. They have figured it out. His name’s Billy who runs that, and it’s one of my favorite things about the live events. But the main thing, and the far more important thing that’s changed is the people who run it the same, it’s the same [people] who run it. But they now run it, and it’s a bunch of grown men and women now in a sense of the actual talent.
Seth Rollins is not a child, it’s not Tyler Black coming from Ring of Honor anymore. He’s a grown man who knows the psychology of a crowd, how he can move them, how he can not, and that’s across the board. Jey Uso is a completely different animal. Sami Zayn, just like a true artist, Kevin Owens having experienced the ebbs and flows of it all, and that creates the environment we’re in, and the environment we’re in is the business of it. It has been so good, sell out, sell out, sell out.
They’re not random, I don’t take them for granted. You don’t want to, at any moment they could end, but they’re there because you have an experienced group of guys and girls, and that’s been the biggest difference. When I was there the first time I was a kid, and I was blossoming into what it’s like to be, you know, in your 30s, professional wrestler who has experience working with some of the top names, but still, it’s no substitute for what we have now. There’s no substitute for that experience. And that’s what you see with these shows and I think that’s one of the leading factors. Obviously Roman, but that’s a leading factor into how this business is like, like just everywhere they go the transaction is through the roof. And that’s why.”
The full interview is available at this link.