Summary
- Shawn Michaels trusts Cody Rhodes to be the future face and steward of WWE.
- Cody respects and honors wrestling, mentoring talent at WWE’s Performance Center and Nightmare Factory.
- Michaels and Cody share a long in-ring past—over 30 matches, including Legacy vs. DX in 2009–2010.
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels’ official job title is Senior Vice President of Talent Development and Creative, which entails overseeing WWE’s developmental brand, NXT. Michaels is helping to shape the future of WWE. During an interview, Michaels shared who he believes could take the reins once he and other mainstays of the company are gone.
Shawn Michaels Praises Cody Rhodes, Says He Respects The Business
In an interview with journalist Justin Barrasso, Michaels made it clear that WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes is someone that he trusts with the business and can be the face of the company. Rhodes, in his eyes, is also someone who will help the new generation, like Michaels has been doing for years now. He said:
“You’re always comforted when you’re handing over the reins of this business to someone that respects it, honors it, and enjoys it. That gives all of us a lot of peace and comfort. When Cody comes into the Performance Center, it’s very fortunate for us. He wants to pass it on to the next generation and echoes a lot of what we say. That’s a huge help and comfort to everyone in WWE. You know the business is in good hands moving into the future.” (h/t: WrestlePurists)
It also helps because Cody has his own wrestling school, too. Cody and AEW/ROH star QT Marshall run the pro-wrestling training facility The Nightmare Factory. It’s in Atlanta, Georgia. So Rhodes does know how important it is to train the new generation.
Shawn Michaels and Cody Rhodes’ In-Ring Past
Believe it or not, but during Cody’s first stint in WWE, he faced Michaels over 30 times on both house shows and televised events. One of their first major events was under the Legacy Stable, so Rhodes and former WWE talent Ted DiBiase Jr versus Michaels and Triple H at the 2009 SummerSlam PLE. That same year, Rhodes and DiBiase faced DX again, this time at the 2009 Hell In A Cell PLE. Each time, Triple H and Michaels would win.
The two tag teams would battle it out until February 2010. Randy Orton created the Legacy stable, which was his version of Evolution — the group that helped shape Orton into the person he is today. When Cody joined the stable in June 2008, he had been with WWE since 2006. He made his WWE televised debut in June 2007. So anyway, Shawn and Cody have a history in and out of the ring.
