On a recent edition of the “Busted Open Radio” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray compared Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Universal Title run to Rocky Balboa’s journey in the movie Rocky III.
According to Ray, Rhodes could benefit from having a formidable opponent like Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T in the aforementioned movie. He said,
“Cody Rhodes needs his Mr. T to show up. Yes, Cody’s got a lot of goodwill … but they’re not going to be getting the same level of story or intensity that they got with Roman and The Rock. So it’s going to be very easy for Cody to fall into these ten fights like Rocky Balboa had — yeah, you’re the number one contender, big deal. Nobody poses a credible threat. I want to know who’s Cody’s legitimate, credible threat. As a matter of fact, I would’ve liked to have seen him in the ring with that legitimate, credible threat already. I don’t like this little bit of a lull. I think Cody is cooling a bit.”
Cody Rhodes will defend his title for the first time against AJ Styles at WWE Backlash: France on Saturday, May 4, at the LDLC Arena in Lyon-Décines, France.
During the same “Busted Open Radio” podcast, ECW legend Tommy Dreamer critiqued WWE and AEW for holding post-show press conferences immediately after their pay-per-view events.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On WWE and AEW holding post-show press conferences: “I don’t know what purpose it serves. I thought the media thing at WrestleMania served a purpose. That’s when the shove happened, all that stuff. I thought that was cool, the slap. But then it goes back to media … What great thing has happened from any media thing, except getting knowledge that really has just been focused on the negative?”
On TNA announcing an injury report after TNA Rebellion since both fans and workers were concerned: “TNA [Rebellion], four wrestlers legit got hurt, and I saw that fans were concerned about them. You know why? Because the locker [room] was concerned about them. I said, why don’t we go kinda like ‘Real Sports’ and give an injury report on these people, because people are concerned about people that they actually care about. And we put it out on social, and it worked. But it wasn’t a press conference.”
Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Universal Title Run Compared to Rocky Balboa’s Journey
In a recent episode of the “Busted Open Radio” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray drew a comparison between Cody Rhodes’ current Undisputed WWE Universal Title run and Rocky Balboa’s journey in the movie “Rocky III.”
Ray suggested that Rhodes could benefit from having a formidable opponent, much like Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T in the film. He expressed his belief that while Rhodes has gained a lot of goodwill, he may not experience the same level of story or intensity as Roman Reigns and The Rock did. Ray emphasized the importance of having a legitimate and credible threat for Rhodes to face, stating that without one, Rhodes may fall into a series of unchallenging fights.
Ray’s comments highlight the need for Rhodes to face a worthy adversary who can push him to his limits and elevate the story surrounding his title reign. He expressed his disappointment in the current lull in Rhodes’ storyline and suggested that a lack of credible threats could potentially cool off Rhodes’ momentum.
Fans will have the opportunity to see Rhodes defend his title for the first time against AJ Styles at WWE Backlash: France on Saturday, May 4. The event will take place at the LDLC Arena in Lyon-Décines, France.
In addition to discussing Rhodes’ title run, the “Busted Open Radio” podcast also featured ECW legend Tommy Dreamer critiquing both WWE and AEW for holding post-show press conferences immediately after their pay-per-view events.
Dreamer questioned the purpose of these press conferences, stating that he doesn’t see any significant positive outcomes from them. He mentioned that while certain moments, such as physical altercations, can generate buzz, most of the information shared during these conferences tends to focus on the negative aspects.
Dreamer also highlighted an alternative approach taken by TNA (Total Nonstop Action Wrestling) after their Rebellion event. Four wrestlers suffered legitimate injuries during the show, and both fans and fellow wrestlers expressed concern. To address this, TNA released an injury report similar to the format used by “Real Sports.” This approach allowed fans to receive updates on the injured wrestlers without the need for a full-blown press conference.
Overall, the podcast episode touched on the importance of creating compelling storylines for title runs, the need for credible threats, and the effectiveness of alternative methods, such as injury reports, to address fan concerns. As Cody Rhodes prepares for his first title defense, fans eagerly await to see if he will face a worthy opponent who can match his skill and elevate his reign to new heights.