WWE legends view and discuss the modern wrestling business. It was at the core of his best AEW match—against his brother, Dustin Rhodes—and it continues to be a subject he isn't shy about discussing. Just about everyone who was part of Raw's opening intro during the Attitude Era has their own podcast now, and their commentary is frequently championed by older wrestling fans who grew up with that version of WWE's product. Cody Rhodes grew up in and around the Attitude Era more than most, making his perspectives interesting and noteworthy.
The American Nightmare appeared on Logan Paul's YouTube show, Cody Rhodes continued, explaining that "what I found out is that however you do it, if the people are up, if they're reacting, if they're popping, or if they're on their feet, don't judge this. This is done right if they're entertained." (h/t and thanks to Michael Schrute of wrestlingnews.co for the transcription)
WWE Moved Away From Attitude Era Legends At The Royal Rumble
Somewhat ironically, Cody Rhodes' comments come after the least legend-influenced Royal Rumble ever. WWE typically uses that match type to garner easy pops from the audience by rolling out various stars of yesteryear. The over-the-top-rope battle royal doesn't require the same physicality as an actual wrestling match, so older performers can easily walk out to their music and do a spot or two before getting eliminated. In years gone by, the likes of Kane or Godfather would have shown up and destroyed Johnny Gargano, Otis and Dominik Mysterio. That isn't how the 2023 edition of the vent played out.
There was only one returning legend in Booker T, and reports indicate that he was replacing a legitimately injured Rey Mysterio. If Rey had been able to appear instead of Booker T, WWE would have booked zero legends for the men's match. So, on the surface, it seems like Cody Rhodes and Triple H see eye to eye on the idea of the old guard holding the new school back a bit. Too frequently, stars of yesteryear tear into the modern product despite not having interacted with it in decades. That'd be like Austin Theory talking about what it was like to be backstage during an episode of Raw in 1998.
The professional wrestling business is as healthy as it has ever been. Fans don't believe it's real like they used to but are still setting gate records for WrestleMania and watching the Royal Rumble in droves. AEW has established itself as a viable alternative product and has lasted longer than Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion. NJPW will hopefully bounce back now that crowd restrictions have been restricted, and companies like MLW and GCW can piece together strong cards. The point is Cody Rhodes is onto something when he says that wrestling is done right if the fans are entertained. No Hall of Fame ring or antiquated television rating can take that away from anyone involved in modern WWE.
Sources: IMPAULSIVE/YouTube, wrestlingnews.co