“It’s still a vanity business. You’re still out there, half-naked, and oiled up, and the guys behind this operation … they still have a love for bodybuilding,” Cody Rhodes continued. “They’re in great shape and in tailor-made custom suits when they come to work. That’s one of the first things I tell people because it your their mindset too, ‘Get in the best possible shape.'”

Reflecting further on his run as Stardust, Rhodes admits that being in pristine physical shape a decade ago would have forced Vince McMahon and others to take notice and afforded him more creative freedom. He reiterated that his biggest mistake was allowing the negativity to fester rather than making positive changes to his life. 

“Had I gotten in the best possible shape of my career and said, ‘Hey, I’m telling you I want to be Cody Rhodes and not Stardust, let me get new gear and present that to you. Let me have this all done up.’ Instead of doing that, I just bottled … I let it swell. I didn’t do the things [I needed to]. Also, I thought if I did them, they’d still not [believe in me]. But that’s not the case,” Rhodes said. 

Rhodes believes if Stardust had 8 percent body fat and a six-pack, WWE creative would have gone, “What are we doing?” and given the second-generation wrestler a better shot at succeeding. In conclusion, Rhodes revealed WWE wanted him to wear more than just a face paint to portray Stardust. 

“There was an actual mask that was pitched,” he revealed. “This was an area where I spoke up. I put it on and [it] looked like a classic condom blowing up. It looked so bad.” Upon rejecting the idea of sporting a mask, Rhodes shaved his head to try and resemble his brother, Dustin Rhodes. “I’m glad the mask never saw the light of day,” he concluded.