WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque publicly backed Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes amid negative press after a recent ratings decline for one of its signature shows.
On Wednesday, it was reported that last Friday’s episode of SmackDown averaged 1.03 million viewers on the USA Network — a sharp decrease from the previous week’s 1.24 million viewers. This marks the show’s lowest viewership since returning to USA and the lowest overall since November 29, 2023, when it aired on FS1 due to Fox’s college
football coverage, according to the Wrestling Observer.
As the story spread, Levesque took to social media to praise Rhodes.
“People only see results… they don’t see what it takes to achieve them,” wrote Levesque while sharing a photo of Rhodes in a gym. “Fourteen hours to Dubai. Find a gym in the airport… grind 10 more to Perth. Straight to ESPN hit… meet Make-A-Wish families.”
Referring to Rhodes by his nickname, QB1, Levesque added, “What it takes to be a WWE Superstar. Thank you to all. (Sorry, Cody Rhodes, felt like I needed to share.)”
The timing of Levesque’s post was hard to ignore.
SmackDown‘s record-low rating comes after Nielsen — the media research firm that measures television audiences — announced in early September that it was moving to a new model of tracking viewership. Both WWE and AEW have taken a direct hit as a result, seeing a startling decline in numbers after the change.
But ratings aren’t the only concern. Last week’s show at Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Center also saw a steep dip in attendance.
Per online ticket tracker WrestleTix, WWE distributed 7,246 tickets for the event — well below the 12,286 Raw drew in the same venue in February. WrestleTix also noted that last year’s SmackDown drew a sold-out crowd of over 13,000.
Several factors could explain the drop.
In February, WWE was building toward Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania, with Rhodes appearing on Raw to respond to The Rock’s now-infamous proposition: give up his soul for unimaginable success.
Seven months later, WWE’s return to Cincinnati follows what many viewed as a lackluster WrestleMania. It also comes on the heels of Wrestlepalooza, the company’s premium live event debut on ESPN, which received lukewarm reviews.
Meanwhile, WWE’s ticket prices continue to soar well into the thousands as families prepare for the holidays.
Another question is whether Rhodes remains a strong draw — and if Levesque’s praise was a preemptive strike to stop such conversations before they begin.
In 2025, Rhodes’ momentum has slowed — a sharp contrast from 2024, when he won his first WWE title and became Levesque’s handpicked face of the company.
It began in January with Raw’s Netflix debut, when The Rock, Rhodes’ rival from the previous year, squashed their feud. Their storyline resumed in February, when The Rock returned seeking Rhodes’ soul. When Rhodes refused, he was attacked by rapper Travis Scott and John Cena, who shocked fans by turning heel.
But the angle fizzled after The Rock didn’t appear at WrestleMania 41. Instead, Scott played a role in Cena’s victory over Rhodes, who came off poorly in defeat.
After losing the title, Rhodes disappeared from WWE programming without explanation. But WWE continued advertising him for events until just hours before bell time — only for him to be a no-show, upsetting fans.
Upon returning, Rhodes resumed his feud with Cena. While he regained the title by defeating Cena at SummerSlam, he was booed during the match. Weeks later, Roman Reigns mentioned Rhodes during a promo, prompting more boos from fans.
As Levesque’s creative direction comes under scrutiny, fan support for Rhodes seems to have declined as well. While several factors likely contributed to SmackDown‘s low ratings and attendance, the outcome was the same: despite promoting Rhodes in the main event, turnout fell short.
Levesque’s post may have been less a tribute and more a vote of confidence — a way to reassure fans, and perhaps himself, that Cody is still the guy.
