Cody Rhodes Praises Vince McMahon, John Cena and Randy Orton Ahead of AEW on TNT

AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes released a statement Tuesday ahead of next week's AEW Dynamite debut on TNT, and he mentioned some of those he learned from during his time in WWE:

Cody specifically made note of what 16-time world champion John Cena taught him about appealing to the wrestling fanbase:

"I would ask you this one favor as we move forward: speak to me. John Cena once told me that when the fans clap their hands or stomp their feet or give a visceral indicator that they want something, you need to DO something. Otherwise, they will stop making noise. Please share your feedback with me; I want all of it. Good, bad, ugly. What we did right, what we did wrong, and why. Let me help create and tailor a product for you."

Additionally, Rhodes listed some of the people who taught him most over the years, including WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and current WWE Superstar Randy Orton, as well as his late father, Dusty Rhodes:

"I've had the best education one could ever receive for this job. A pro since age 15. Eleven years under the learning tree of such minds as Randy Orton, Vince McMahon, Arn Anderson, Dean Malenko and countless other legends. And, of course, the three decades I spent talking wrestling every day with The American Dream himself."

Now 34, Cody broke into the wrestling business in 2006 as a WWE developmental signing. He quickly found his way to the main roster in 2007 and remained with the company until 2016.

Arguably Cody's greatest success in WWE came as part of the Legacy stable alongside Orton and Ted DiBiase Jr. There, he had the opportunity to face many of the top wrestlers in the history of the business, including Cena, Shawn Michaels and Triple H.

Cody has grown significantly as an individual in the wrestling business since departing WWE, but he continues to keep an eye on the company he grew up in: "I know what's on the other side of the hill. A billion-dollar publicly traded behemoth with 70 years of experience and an expansive network of divisions and subsidiaries, which has ultimately become a monopoly in wrestling."

When AEW goes head to head with WWE's NXT for the first time Oct. 2 from 8 p.m. ET until 10 p.m. ET, Cody will have a significant hand in whether AEW sinks or swims—from both a behind-the-scenes and on-camera perspective.

Cody is set to face Sammy Guevara in the first match in AEW Dynamite history, and he will then go on to face Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship at Full Gear in November.

While it's impossible to say whether AEW will be the type of success most wrestling fans are hoping for, there's no question Cody is prepared to lead the way based on the tutelage he has received over the years.

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