Cody Rhodes On Being Worried About Joining The Bullet Club At First, Critics, Adjusting To Change

Cody Rhodes spoke with ESPN before his match at NJPW's G1 Special. Here are some of the highlights:

Winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship:

"I thought I was enthused about Long Beach, but now I'm more than that. If I'm able to win the IWGP title, from the most pure, sport-like organization left, New Japan Pro Wrestling — the last sanctuary for these pen and paper nerds who don't do anything positive for our business, but instead just criticize it. If I can win out there, nothing would excite me more. Nothing would excite me more."

Adjusting with the changing wrestling landscape:

"To not adjust and to not change with the times, that's a death sentence, unless you happen to be doing a character that's stuck in history. I know I didn't want to be part of that death sentence. I love pro wrestling. If pro wrestling's gonna change, I'm gonna change with it."

Joining The Bullet Club:

"I think initially, I was worried. I was like, 'Oh, the Bullet Club.' You've had Finn Balor, and you've had AJ Styles, and you have Kenny Omega. I was kind of worried. I wanted to trend upwards. All good things must come to an end, and I didn't know what the shelf life for the Bullet Club was. It's trending upward still. We just had a conference call with a certain toy manufacturer, that does toys for the biggest company in the world, who wants to do Bullet Club stuff. Not ROH. Not New Japan Pro Wrestling. Bullet Club. Just Bullet Club. It blows my mind."

Cody Rhodes also discussed thoughts on when he left WWE. You can read the full interview by clicking here. Be sure to join us for Live Coverage of tonight's G1 Special, starting at 8pm ET.

Source: ESPN