During a recent episode of his podcast, “Wise Choices,” WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff shared his opinions on the current reign of Cody Rhodes as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Here are some key takeaways from the podcast:
Discussing whether Cody Rhodes is more effective as a frontrunner rather than a World Champion, Bischoff comments, “That’s an excellent question. Honestly, I don’t have a definitive answer yet. I’ve seen that Cody Rhodes has come very close to embodying that classic, heroic figure more than anyone in a long time, possibly since John Cena, and perhaps even surpassing Cena in some ways. However, Cena had his rapper gimmick, which didn’t necessarily align with who he was in reality. On the contrary, the person you see in the ring as Cody Rhodes is very close to who he really is.”
“In my point of view,” Bischoff continues, “Cody’s role as this saint-like figure has potential to grow monotonous for some, and his character may need to gain an edge eventually. Looking across the spectrum of film and television characters, particularly in wrestling, audiences seem to enjoy that subtle tension when their hero is just on the verge of unleashing a dark side. As of now, I haven’t seen any indication of audience fatigue or disinterest towards Cody’s angelic image, but we’ll see how it unfolds. One thing I do know is that Cody has a sharp mind and is backed by a talented, intelligent team who can anticipate and counsel him on these shifts in audience sentiment.”
When asked if Bischoff has ever pondered doing co-branded WCW/NWO TV shows like he did with pay-per-views, Bischoff remarks, “Interesting suggestion. I honestly cannot recall if it was ever considered or even discussed. Possibly, it should have been, but to my knowledge, it wasn’t.”