Cody Rhodes took the stage at Starrcast III for a show titled "From Undesirable to Undeniable" hosted by Tony Schiavone.
Highlights from the stage show are below.
- Cody talks about how over Pharaoh is. No mention if Delta questioned his service dog credentials.
- Tony jokes that his job in AEW is to carry bags. They discuss how Tony ended up signing with AEW over WWE. You can find more details on that story by clicking here.
- Cody praises Tony Khan and how much of a wrestling fan he is. Says Khan told Turner sales, "Nobody cares more about the wrestling consumer because I'm the wrestling consumer."
- Cody's mom isn't coming to All Out. Tony says Cody's mom told him there was "too much blood" in the Cody vs. Dustin match. "She has opinions," Cody says about his mom.
- Cody realized his dad was a megastar when he was at The Omni in Atlanta. "Everyone in the back would talk to him, so I knew he was important." Said he knew his dad was a big star when he got a bigger pop than Sting when walking out to the parking lot.
- Tony confirms that he and Jim Ross will call matches together.
- Cody says, "Dusty knew nothing about folk-style wrestling, not even how it was scored." Says Dusty kept a notebook of his "folk-style wrestling dream team" and Xavier Woods was one of the names on the list.
- Cody tells a story of having a pro wrestling style entrance in his high school wrestling days.
- Cody wanted to be an actor first. "Being a famous actor will make it easier to be a pro wrestler." Says seeing Randy Orton made him realize he could be a wrestler. Called John Laurinaitis and got sent to OVW. "Like any second or third generation, the moment I hit the ropes, 'Well, call him up to TV.' And I just sucked." Credits Orton and Bob Holly for letting him grow up. "WWE let me grow up on their television show. That was a problem near the end. They still thought I was this kid. I don't blame them. I can break 1,000 thrones, I probably well, but I can never not appreciate what they did." Says he wanted more and then says he isn't sure he signed his WWE release papers.
- The Young Bucks and Cody don't agree on a lot in wrestling but they agree that the fans must come first.
- Cody discusses his relationship with Vince McMahon. You can find his full quotes on that subject by clicking here.
- Cody tells a story about him and Dusty going to a quarter horse museum. No one knew what the hell a quarter horse museum was except Dusty.
- Cody thanks ROH for helping him find himself. Talks about how AEW came together with Tony Khan and The Elite's contracts coming up at the same time. "Khan broke down barriers and used every resource possible to make the TNT deal happen." Cody wanted to stick with The Elite. "We might end up hating each other, but we built this together." Cody was worried The Elite would show up at the Royal Rumble. Says All Out will be the best show AEW has done. Cody didn't want to be EVP unless Khan thought he could be EVP, even if it meant him wrestling less.
- Cody on being EVP, "I have a terrible temper, my texting etiquette is terrible, and there's a thing about contract tampering. They have to send me to an executive class." Tony talks contract tampering when Cody recruited him to do AEW videos despite Tony being under contract to MLW. Says no money was exchanged. Cody praises Court Bauer and MLW.
- Cody discusses how AEW acquired the World Title and the legal things you have to go through. It's a vague story, but Cody says he's no longer on the belt committee. "I was vague because there are so many legal loops I couldn't include. Every dumb move, I made them all."
- Cody talks about what will seperate AEW from the competition. Reiterates the "sports-centric" approach. Says wrestling can't be PG. Uses the Eric Bischoff "give them a buffet" line from All In. Jokes that he hasn't talked to Bischoff since.
- Cody talks how stunned MJF was to see Chris Jericho walk by in Jacksonville. Cody praises Jericho for his career and picking AEW.
- Funny exchange with Tony and Cody discussing Cody's relationship with MJF. Tony calls him "a prick." Cody says, "MJF is a babyface. He's a sweetheart." Tony does his MJF on Rosie O'Donnell impression. "You shouldn't hit a kid, but I would have hit him that day." Cody wanted MJF to move to Atlanta so they could play Halo together but MJF declined, thinking it was for a bigger role in AEW.
- Cody is most excited about the bell-to-bell product when AEW hits TV. "There's no invisible camera, it's presented in a different way." Says fans have been great about letting them know what works and doesn't. "You love the Librarians, right? The moment we stop listening [to the fans], that's when you'll stop watching." Tony talks about connecting with the fans and that fans have connected with The Elite and AEW.
- Cody talks signing Dustin. "Nepotism at its finest," jokes Cody. Cody knew that if they delivered at Double or Nothing, Khan would offer him a job. Says Khan told Dustin, "You made my company in one match" after DON. Cody is happy the deal got done but is pissed Dustin took a booking this weekend.
- Cody discusses a Standards and Practices meeting where they questioned him for the blood at DON and the chair shot at Fyter Fest. "I should have been the only one in the meeting." Cody says he felt ashamed for Doc Sampson, the AEW doctor who had worked in WWE, after seeing him backstage following the chair shot.
- Cody and Tony talk Zelda games. Cody's favorite is Ocarina of Time. Tony's is Link to the Past. Tony tells a funny story about beating Mario World 2 at 3 am and waking up his kids to tell them. Cody says the best wrestlers will be the ones on top in AEW.
- Cody believes there are markets not being "serviced" and AEW wants to hit those markets. They want to make each announcement special because each market is special. Says they will get to the West coast.
- "Dustin was not aware of what I was going to say," says Cody about his DON speech. "There was no creative process behind it. I hope he doesn't say no." Cody gets choked up talking about Dustin.
- Cody talks about the Stardust gimmick. Says Stephanie McMahon came up with the idea. "She said, 'why don't you paint your face like your brother?' She was only making a suggestion, but [Dustin's face lit up]." Says he knows Stephanie was trying to help but it wasn't the help he needed. Says there was supposed to be a mask, but the mask looked like a condom. Vince suggested he shave his head like Dustin.
- No 20-minute promos in AEW.
- Cody credits Shawn Spears for teaching him how to wrestle. "I always felt bad that I left OVW after 11 months and had a wonderful career and he was in developmental for over 10 years." Cody doesn't want to call Spears underrated because "then people say 'Heath Slater is underrated.' Brother, Heath Slater isn't underrated." Calls Spears "unseen."
- Cody calls Gene Simmons a wrestler because he had a sense for theatrics. Says he listens to the ten biggest pops when he's on the treadmill, that's how much he loves wrestling. Says he's scared how much he enjoys how much he loves the EVP stuff but he'll always be a wrestler.
- Chicago is AEW's hometown. Cody thinks it's a hard place to perform, but he likes the challenge. Hints that they will return to Chicago for a PPV next year and hints that it could be held at the United Center instead of the Sears Center.
- Cody's favorite matches: Hogan vs. Rock from WrestleMania X-8 and Tully & Arn vs. Sting & Dusty at Clash of the Champions 2.
- Cody doesn't know Jericho's partners for AEW debut on TNT.
- Cody says it's "very likely" there will be an episode of TV or PPV in Atlanta.
- Cody talks why AEW chose DC for the first TV event. Says they will "attach peripheral events" to make it bigger than just the show.
- Cody says he was mad at others in AEW for not defending the Orange Cassidy signing. Says Orange "can go."
- "Rey Mysterio made my career," says Cody. "We wrestled at WrestleMania and he still sends me texts and spells my name C-O-D-E-Y." Cody says, "I hope they do right by Rey because if they don't, I'm gonna steal that son of a bitch. #contracttampering"
You can order Starrcast III at FITE TV.
