From 2016 to 2019, Cody Rhodes was one of the top independent wrestlers in the world, working various dates in America and overseas and establishing a new version of himself after his WWE run.
Rhodes parlayed his independent success into helping create AEW along with Tony Khan, The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) and Kenny Omega.
The landscape of independent wrestling has changed over the years, but Rhodes has some simple advice for those on the grind.
"The biggest thing you have to do, and it's the same today, you can't out-price yourself on the independents. I noticed guys would come from WWE, and this promoter might have 200 seats to sell. They're all $20 or $30 and they're going to get something from the table if they have a merchandise element. I'd see guys price themselves at $4500 a show. If one guy prices himself at $4500, over three days, unless you have a sponsor or there are all these loopholes you can find. I didn't want to be that guy because I knew they won't bring me back. I also can't price myself too low. There were some shows I did for free. There were some I would do for $1500 and some for $750. It was all over the map. The point was, they were going to have such a good time, I'm not going to be involved in your storyline so you don't have to worry about that. I'm going to do so much with them at the end of the night and the meet and greet that you'll keep me coming, so I'll always stay booked. It's one of the things I hate the most about modern indie wrestling, the inflation. The money is now huge in our game, so guys are saying, 'I need first class and six grand.' There are 200 people. Take a look at the room. It was far beneath where I was at WWE as far as the bag, but if you hustle, you will find a lot of money," said Cody on The Flagrant podcast.
Cody praised Matt Cardona for working hard on the independents and establishing himself in the current landscape.
Elsewhere during the interview, Cody commented on The Rock's People's Championship. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
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