"His work is not as good as some in that company" - Wrestling legend gets honest on Cody Rhodes' WWE status (Exclusive)

During this week's episode of Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell shared his honest opinions about Cody Rhodes and admitted that WWE had better superstars than the former AEW star.

Rhodes is being pushed as one of WWE's premier babyfaces as he has received a fair amount of TV time on RAW.

Mantell mentioned that Rhodes's goal has been to hook the audience into his emotional journey. The former WWE manager also hoped that Cody would successfully create a strong connection with the fans.

"I want this guy to (create a connection with fans); it shows people that they can get somebody over if they concentrate on getting him over because his work is not as good as some in that company, but it's not the work, it's the reaction. It's the chemistry that he's trying to get with the fans, and I hope he gets there. The task is still going on," explained Dutch Mantell. [38:55 - 39:25]

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Dutch Mantell says the jury is still out on Cody Rhodes

Dutch Mantell stated that WWE needs to prominently feature Cody Rhodes if they wish to make him a long-term main event superstar, and that's exactly what the company has been doing since his match at WrestleMania 38.

Mantell felt that it was still too soon to pass a verdict on Cody Rhodes' position as WWE is yet to add more layers to his comeback story.

The veteran personality added that WWE officials would not be bothered even if Cody Rhodes fails to draw money in the long run:

"That's the key to it. They had him come over, and thus far, they've pushed him, gave him a nine-minute interview segment that he talked about Dusty, and this week he had the match with The Miz, and then he did the show. He is getting a lot of airtime, and if he continues that, he will be fine. But the verdict is still out on him," said Mantell. "I don't think the WWE even cares about drawing with him that much. They could draw almost zero at the shows and still make money. I mean, they will do okay." [38:08 - 38:52]

The American Nightmare will face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania Backlash in what is expected to be another in-ring classic from two exceptional performers.

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