In an interview with 2 Bears, 1 Cave (via Fightful), Cody Rhodes spoke about the difficult of hooking new fans in the modern era of professional wrestling. He noted that fans demanded more authenticity than they did in the past.
Cody Rhodes said: “From the pro wrestler’s standpoint, I always go out there with the idea that they’ve never seen me before. I need them to know right out of the gate, ‘Okay, this is who he is…our wise men who help put the show together, when they say something like, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of new eyeballs out there.’ This will be one of those situations where it really is. Really, truly is. And you have the chance to hook them.There’s such a carny element to how pro wrestling used to be, in terms of reeling in a mark for something to watch. Now the audience is so sophisticated…You can’t just hook them. You can’t be cheap. You have to actually see someone authentically that they like, and then hopefully they stay on board.”
