Cody Rhodes Says AEW Is Making Big Moves To Expand Their Audience, Talks Chairshots To The Head, His In-Ring Future and more

AEW superstar and Executive VP Cody Rhodes was the latest guest on the AEW Unrestricted podcast to talk all things pro-wrestling, including how the promotion is making moves to expand their audience and what his in-ring future is looking like. Highlights can be found below.

Says there will be big moves made in AEW’s second year to expand their audience:

In year 2, we’re going to make some big moves to expand the audience that are not so much moves that you would think we would make, but I’m excited about them.

On his future:

For the next 5 years, I want to wrestle at the absolute highest level I can wrestle, be part of the building of new stars, but I’m not going to apologize if my run continues at its rate. I’m going to ride the lightning bolt until I can’t anymore.

On the Shawn Spears chairshot to the head:

I told him [Shawn Spears] to swing from the side, and the last words I told him were, ‘swing for the fences,’ and when I landed, I don’t know if you can make out in the camera shot, but when I landed, my head is so stiff from the shot that I land the awkward landing when you have two falls, I muttered, ‘swing for the fences.’”

How he feels about chairshots to the head in general:

Here was my objective, and I want people to understand this. Wrestling is violent. People get hurt. This is not ballet, you’ve heard all this stuff. Now I don’t want anyone to get hurt. The art is to make it look like we hurt each other and then we can go home. That’s why we shake hands over and over and over again. If we’re going to be held to the same standard as TV and film, which some people would like to hold us to those same standards. We have a comprable reach. We have global penetration pop culture wise. Well then…if Captain America can be swinging his shield around hitting people on the head with it…no one is crying “headshots.” No one is blaming this modern generation for whatever the hell they did in 1990-something with Mick and Rock and Shamrock. That’s not our fault. So…I wanted to take chairshots to the head back for the boys.

Full interview can be found below.