Cody Rhodes Says Wrestling's Live Event System Is "Antiquated," Who On AEW Roster Has Yet To Shine

AEW EVP Cody Rhodes spoke with The Dallas Morning News before AEW Dynamite does back-to-back weeks in Texas (Garland next week, and then Corpus Christi).

Rhodes was asked about how things are different with AEW running one show a week, compared to WWE's running shows on a nightly basis. The former WWE Superstar felt like the model of the live-event system in wrestling is "antiquated," where as AEW wants fans to focus primarily on Dynamite as their go-to show for everything.

"One of the benefits of working for All Elite Wrestling ? if you're a competitor ? you're really only working one day a week," Rhodes began. "The really die-hard, committed, kind of golden circle of our company is always working, and that includes wrestlers ? not just management. Their minds always going. But it's new to wrestling that Tony's offered this schedule.

"Some people are free to do independent [shows] on the weekends where they can keep getting their reps in. Some other people don't need the reps ? like my brother [Dustin Rhodes, formerly known as Goldust in WWE], he's had 20 years of reps. He's TV-ready always, as kind of proven by this last week in there with The Young Bucks and Santana and Ortiz. I think it's the way it should be.

"I think the model of the live event system, and I'm not trying to knock anybody, is antiquated. The last few years [I was] with WWE, those houses for live events and not TVs were pretty ? they were good, they were a couple thousand ? but they weren't the same as the big TV spectacle. It just seems like you're putting less of an emphasis on your show when you spread yourself out like that. So, I think everything is about Dynamite. To follow AEW, you've got to watch Dynamite. Dynamite's our only show. Four pay-per-views a year. And everything that exists outside of that is shoulder content, it's stuff you can watch if you want to. And if not, tune into Dynamite and be caught right up."

Speaking of Dustin Rhodes, Cody was asked about bringing his brother into the fold and how he's helping the roster as a coach.

"He's special. This experience with each other ? we weren't planning on working together," Cody said. "After Double or Nothing he wanted to come on full time, and it's really special to be working with my brother. He runs a class ? which he set up himself ? for the women's division, and he works with a few of the men, as well. ... He just dove right in to the coach side of this. And I can say now, he's one of the people I could not do this without. You ask how this was all possible, you've got to be flanked by people like Dustin Rhodes.

"I think it's fate that we ended up working together like this. He has some real respect for me, and I have an unlimited respect for my brother, an endless amount. So, it's almost emotional every week to see what he's able to bring to the table, and I'm glad he can be here with us and I'm glad he's doing so well."

With a roster of names that some fans may not be as familiar with, Cody was asked who has yet to show off their true potential to the AEW audience.

"I would say everyone who you see weekly because it's like a list, basically, a short list of people like Luchasaurus, like Kris Statlander, Shida, Riho, Nyla, people like Jungle Boy ? even people like MJF," Rhodes responded. "I mean, you can look at their faces and see the youth in their faces. But it's very easy to kind of see it in their performance, there is something incredibly special and they're going to grow up in front of you. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention who I think is probably the best wrestler that you don't know about, and that being Rey Fenix. Rey Fenix is something very, very special and I'm glad we have him."

Rhodes will team up with QT Marshall on next week's Dynamite against The Butcher and The Blade (with The Bunny).