The “entertainment” side of WWE’s “sports entertainment” is never lacking in spectacle. From dazzling lights to explosive pyrotechnics, the company consistently delivers larger-than-life visuals.
In a recent video shared on X (formerly Twitter), WWE provided a behind-the-scenes look at the intricate setup of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes’s signature pyrotechnics.
Controlled by a button labeled simply “Cody,” the fireworks are set off by a trigger resembling a video game controller. WWE’s lead pyrotechnician uses this setup to pass through the series of colorful explosions that have become a hallmark of Rhodes’s iconic entrance.
This video served as part of WWE’s promotion for the shift of SmackDown from Fox to The USA Network, which took place last Friday. Since 2019, Fox had been the home of the blue brand, but WWE’s television landscape is in flux for the next six months.
NXT is gearing up for its debut on The CW network on October 1, with the first two episodes airing from venues outside of the WWE Performance Center.
Rosemont, IL will host the CW premiere, followed by St. Louis, MO the following week. USA will continue airing both Raw and SmackDown until the end of the year, when Raw transitions to Netflix, marking the show’s first appearance on the streaming platform.
Additionally, Raw will shorten to two hours starting in October, as WWE continues to pay for each additional hour during its extended agreement with USA, which had initially expired in September.