AEW match with Shaq ‘wanted to exist’

All elite wrestling star Cody Rhodes, one of the company’s four executive vice-presidents, will compete in a co-ed match with partner Red Velvet against NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and Jade Cargill in the episode March 3 from “AEW Dynamite” (8 p.m., TNT). Before stepping into the ring, Rhodes took the time to chat with Post professional wrestling writer Joseph Staszewski.

(Modified for clarity and length)

Q: What kind of impact do you think Shaq can have for AEW when you have someone of his notoriety and just people’s curiosity for what Shaq could be as a wrestler?

A: The power of Shaq, when you have one of these very, very iconic, all-American brands, cannot be underestimated. The only thing I know about (audience) penetration and absolute sphere of influence, the closest thing I could think of is Snoop Dogg himself. For me it’s really, really exciting. It’s actually a big part – not my wrestling job – it’s a big part of the other work (EVP) because if we build this and they come for this Dynamite on March 3rd with Shaq, i hope they like everything he does and they like everything we do but maybe find someone they wouldn’t have known if this was their first foray into wrestling which they also fall in love with and which is not part of our match. It’s one of the beautiful things about the friction and power of someone like Shaq.

Q: How did this happen? Is this something he approached you guys or did you approach him?

A: What happened is really what the fans saw. He tweeted about me (in August 2020) and didn’t know me, I don’t think so. He just knew he had a show on TNT and we saw each other early on and “Dynamite” was kicking ass and I think he picked a professional in-house wrestler to go after. And I haven’t given it much thought other than, you know, we wrestlers, we love when we see blue checks (Twitter), we love when we see people talking about our world.

Then you know QT (Marshall) calls me like six months ago, so it’s awhile ago. He called me up and said, “Hey, I just want to make you aware of something.” When that’s how he frames it, I know it’s gonna be something about the Nightmare Factory. He said, “I just want to let you know that Shaq has come and started training. I said send me a video, I have to see it. He’s done a fair amount of training with QT with a few bodies he can throw and things of that nature.

At that point, I knew we were in an area where this could really, seriously happen. We really jumped on it in the best possible way. QT is really technically responsible for it. Him and Tony Khan (AEW President) because he and Tony also have a great relationship. He sort of wanted to exist like so many other things in AEW.

Q: How long has Shaq been training for?

A: I don’t have much interaction with him. I know that when he trains, it’s very long. They took more than two hours. They go from the weight room to the ring and two to three of our best guys are jostling each other, working out and wanting to be there. They are there most of the night. I have never trained with him. He was very well trained by QT. They train pretty regularly and I’m excited.

When you are that size. If you were to come, not Shaq, if you were that tall I would like you to practice and learn how to do as much as you can, but most wrestling promoters, bookers, and companies won’t make you do that much. There is a guideline, at least is more for a legitimate giant. Few of them are more involved in the struggle.

The only thing I thought on my mind was that I have fought Big Show so many times. He was just one of the most precious teachers to me. He was everything. He was a real opponent when it came to how he handled his time at WrestleMania. It was my first taste of good politics, bad politics, and he was an angel in the ring to wrestle with. It gave me absolutely valuable lessons. So, thinking about Show a lot like I thought about Shaq, they’re kind of similar.

Q: You and Shaq are the headliners, but what is this opportunity for Jade and Red Velvet?

A: Red Velvet is the golden ticket. Everyone loves Red Velvet and she went ahead and said, ‘I’m not just going to be a replacement. She and Arn (Anderson) discussed doing this interview (in the “Waiting Room” segment) where I just stood there like a pud, which was great. I don’t have to do a seven-minute manifesto. If I have a loan, I am ready.

I was really impressed at the time and thought she liked herself by the audience. I felt that she wasn’t trying to be condescending to me or be a sucker for anything of that nature. She really stuck her point there a bit and left and got us thinking. And quite frankly, if there was any doubt about who should fill this role, she made it clear because there were a lot of names that were thrown around when (my wife) Brandi got pregnant. And she made it clear that it would be Red Velvet. I was very proud of her and didn’t even know her very well.

As far as Jade goes, that might piss off some people, and I’m only telling you this from an optical point of view, but Jade trains incredibly hard. I know she’s incredibly disciplined. She’s not that nice to me, but she reminds me so much of Chyna’s beginnings and in her own way. I just found out from the little interaction I had with her before she tore me up on the mic, Chyna is her favorite wrestler. I haven’t had that experience yet with an intern and someone new to the industry. For me to have Red Velvet and to have Jade and everything that is also going on with what (female champion) Hikaru Shida has put in place with the women’s tournament, we’re trying to take every step we can at a pace real hot-shot just to reinforce our presence on our women in the series.

Q: In your mind, given the relationship between AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, is the door open for those dream matches once the travel restrictions are lifted?

A: I’m all AEW, but I’m not blind to the potential of these crossovers. I think when the travel restrictions go away, maybe there are crossover matches, the dream matches that are available for us. I know in my heart that there is someone I would love to fight from New Japan. I haven’t had the chance and time is running out.

I am a big fan of The Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi). I like to challenge myself and they have a great team in terms of (Kazuchika) Okada, Jay White and of course (Kota) Ibushi, who I’ve had to wrestle so many times, and many people. (Tomohiro) Ishii, my God. There is good potential for crossover elements and good friendships, but I also want to never forget that we have a locker room full of men and women chomping at the bit to get into that two hour slot and I always look at AEW first. Just respectfully for any other company, I’m probably the most careful when it comes to crosses.

Q: Two weeks ago Dynamite had wrestlers from NWA, Impact and New Japan. Is there an end goal in your guys’ minds about how you want this idea of ​​talent sharing to affect wrestling? It looks like a throwback to the days of the land.

A: I am thinking of “All In” itself. “All In” is a show that ROH (Ring of Honor) helped us with with Matt (Jackson), Nick (Jackson), myself did all the work outside of that initial production element and the reason it was. was important that the three of us do it, we were able to let all those old rules go. It is a very dangerous and powerful precedent to set if you literally remove all bridges and doors. Again, this is all speculative, but there’s no reason AEW couldn’t work with New Japan. We are aware of the outside world. The Bullet Club is a big part of our blood at AEW. So there is no reason why we cannot work with New Japan. There’s no reason Jacob Fatu couldn’t take a MLW step and stand in front of me.

There is no reason that there cannot someday be a potential WWE crossover. And I don’t mean to say that this is something that has been discussed or is happening, but none of those rules that exist for other places exist for us. The struggle is really this universal industry. The territory reference you made is pretty accurate, but the most accurate part is that there was genuine trust.

Eddie Graham and Vince (McMahon) Sr. they traded people all the time and made a prolific business out of it and they did it in a way where they introduced these characters to New York and then you know that they’re bringing these characters into Florida and that kept things fresh because above all else, wednesday night war or not, the main thing we have to do for the fans for the rest of this race – and I want that this company exists forever – is to keep it fresh. It can never become outdated.

Our doors are open if the business is right, if the time is right, if the time is right. Our bridges are down. I’ll be the only guy from AEW cursed to make sure all is well.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned as the son of a professional wrestler that you can take to become a father as a professional wrestler?

A: My dad was really tall, and that was because he was a wrestler, being true to who you are. He told me around 4 or 5 years old, he said if the teacher asked you: “What does your father do for a living?” you can tell him I’m a seller. You can tell him I’m a mechanic. I told him, “I don’t want to tell them that, I want to tell them that you are a wrestler.” He said, “That’s what I want too. Never feel the pressure to do it. It really shaped my whole childhood. I wore a leather jacket in 3^rd grade, everyone laughed at me. The next day I wore this leather jacket again and the next day. It was kind of growing up with such a fatherly character and a larger than life personality.

And where I grew up, people really looked down on our family because we were like the circus. He insisted on being true to who you are to the point where I said it in that funeral home, and they asked me what you wanted to put on. It’s like a flashback. The guy said I could tell he had a college degree and I stopped him and said, “Just write a professional wrestler.” This is what he was. So for me that was a great lesson that I hope I can pass on to my own child.