WWE legend disliked John Cena's dig at Cody Rhodes: "Doesn't work for me, brother"

Cody Rhodes and John Cena went back and forth on the microphone on the March 31 episode of WWE RAW. Eric Bischoff watched the heated exchange and did not think Cena's AEW remark was necessary.

The segment largely revolved around Rhodes saying fans chose him to be WWE's top babyface, whereas management pushed Cena into that position. The 16-time world champion replied by claiming he makes "empires for billionaires," while his opponent only "steals money from their kids."

Bischoff discussed the promo on the latest episode of his 83 Weeks podcast. The WWE Hall of Famer questioned the logic behind Cena alluding to Rhodes' history of working for AEW President Tony Khan.

"It doesn't get any heat with me," Bischoff said. "I mean, heat that you would want. I mean, nah. Flat. Doesn't work for me, brother. It's too inside. I've got no problem with good inside stuff if it draws blood. Like, if you're gonna lay something on somebody and you're gonna use reality as your support mechanism, which I love and encourage, you gotta do it in a way that draws blood and creates heat between you two." [39:02 – 39:37]

Alberto Del Rio returning to WWE?

John Cena will challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 on April 19-20. The 47-year-old will become a record-breaking 17-time world champion if he defeats The American Nightmare.

How Eric Bischoff would have presented John Cena's AEW reference

In the 1990s, Eric Bischoff played a vital role as WCW Nitro beat WWE RAW in the television ratings for 83 consecutive weeks. He later worked for TNA and WWE in on-screen and off-screen positions.

Had Bischoff been in charge, he would have advised John Cena to make the subtle AEW comment in a different environment:

"I would imagine 70 percent of the audience went, 'Huh? What does he mean by that?' I don't know, it just wasn't strong enough for that setting. If it would have been an off-handed comment on TV and wasn't right there in the center of the ring and the focus of the show in that moment, I would have laughed it off and it would have been I think appropriate, but not under those circumstances. It was flat." [39:38 – 40:05]

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In the same episode, Bischoff mentioned one thing Cena must change about his new heel character.

Please credit 83 Weeks and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart