With SummerSlam rapidly approaching, Cody Rhodes has decided to hit the campaign trail hard to get as many eyes on Cleveland Browns Stadium as possible, only this time, he didn't just go to the typical wrestling or even sports publications to get the word out but instead went Sneaker Shopping with Complex.
Hanging out with Joe La Puma at Stadium Goods in New York City, Rhodes discussed all things professional wrestling for the better part of 19 minutes and even left the store with over $8,000 worth of new sneakers, but one question of particular note from the Complex presenter came regarding signature sneakers in the squared-circle, which is a relatively new thing. Does Rhodes like the trend, or does he believe it negatively impacts the purity of the game? Well, surprisingly enough, it's the former.
âI knew something big was up. Iâd seen the stuff hit social, I thought, âOh, this looks great.â For me, just because I grew up in the wrestling business, my mind sometimes go to, âWell, itâs good for wrestling,â and not, âHey, youâre gonna be fighting this guy in a few hours and screw his shoes, whatever.â But my mind went to, âGood for wrestling.â I also saw that the Nike kind of luminary figures were lingering around backstage, and I just tried all I could to make it clear that I was gonna try and be a big star that night,â Cody Rhodes told Complex via WrestleZone.
âSo every time someone was around, I just would be right in front of my poster, just trying like, âHey, if you guys wanna make some other shows, another set, Iâll be all about it.â But Roman, that fits him perfectly and fits the Bloodline specifically. There is a specific fandom for The Bloodline, thatâs their world, those shoes.â
Now, for fans out of the know, Rhodes' fellow former members of The Elite, the Young Bucks, actually just got signature Pumps from Reebok, and have showcased them very effectively at Double or Nothing, at Blood & Guts, and on television since. If Rhodes were in charge of handing out signature kicks, who would he award one or two in WWE? Well, that answer might not be all that surprising, as he's one of the promotion's true merch movers.
âI think if somebody right now needed a shoe to come out for them, and that be their specific version, it would probably be an Air Force, specific version for Jey Uso,â Rhodes said. âA âYeetâ [specific shoe] because I feel like anyone else, like me, Iâm wearing on the run-ins, Iâm wearing these at the airport. Heâs wearing them, not just at the airport in the run-ins, but heâs super-kicking people with these shoes, so thatâs a whole thing.â
Would some Nike Air Force Yeets sell out faster than the Young Bucks Pumps? Debateable, as the Jackson brothers were boasting a sell-out a few days after their release and quickly followed it up with signature shoes for Brodie Lee, too. Still, considering how quickly anything Uso moves at the moment in the WWE Universe, it's safe to say fans would line up to secure the sneakers, and wear them proudly with their shutter glasses and Yeet tanktops.
Article Continues BelowCody Rhodes makes more LDS acquisitions
Elsewhere in Rhodes' appearance on Sneaker Shopping, the âAmerican Nightmareâ commented on one of his favorite topics in the sport, the⌠manhood of his foes.
That's right, discussing his pension for wearing suits to the ring, Rhodes noted that anyone who doesn't like his fashion decisions must not be very comfortable in their own, manhood, even if he used far coarser language to get his point across.
âI will probably be a suit guy in the industry forever. I donât know if this is appropriate for this show or not, but Iâll say it, and Iâve said it in interviews prior, anyone who Iâve ever worked with in business whoâs intimidated by the fact that you wear a suit, I feel like they have a little d**k, like clearly,â Rhodes explained via Fightful. âClearly, come on man. Everyone has what they so. Because I donât want to wear shorts with you. Give me a break. The energy that comes from people who are like, âUgh, I donât know man, heâs in that suit, heâs trying to be something.â Iâm not trying to be something. I want to be something. Thatâs the whole thing. So maybe notâŚmaybe little p**is. They know who they are, with the little p**ises.â
Goodness, for being such a babyface, Rhodes really likes to shame his fellow wrestlers for calling his own choices into question, as he famously accused Dwayne âThe Rockâ Johnson of a very similar manliness issue during their program ahead of WrestleMania 40. All things considered, maybe Rhodes is the one who needs to take a long look in the mirror, as he doesn't seem very confident in his own choices if he constantly has to talk trash about others.