OGDirtyD
NAWF ATLANTA ×
This would be epic.
TonyDubbz
Legion of Trill | Keep god in ya life, fuck nigga
yall know I know I aint much of a Cody Rhodes fan and the reason why stems from this honestly
everything him and his ole lady does is over the top to the point where its just corny as hell.
if they really did leave i hope its to pursue acting or some shit or maybe another indies run
idk man
TonyDubbz
Legion of Trill | Keep god in ya life, fuck nigga
He aint on that level
a match against the IT couple at the mania pre-show is more his speed
Black_Samson
OG
Man had to battle that company in court for the right to use his god given name and regain his fathers legacy.
He'd be a gotdamn fool to go back regardless of money.
They gon put a hit out on him.
He'd be a gotdamn fool to go back regardless of money.
They gon put a hit out on him.
“In an update on the Cody and Brandi Rhodes AEW departure, the locker room began talking last Wednesday, when neither were seen in Atlantic City for AEW Dynamite. Leading up to that, many talent that we spoke to were suspicious that Cody Rhodes’ entire contract situation had been a work, with a lot of question marks regarding the legitimacy. However, they came to realize that the situation was real. It became clear to a few by Friday that a deal likely wouldn’t be reached.”
Titangraph inside
So what happened with Cody Rhodes and AEW? That seems to be the big question everyone is asking.
At the end of the day, like all things do, it came down to money.
PWInsider.com has heard from multiple sources that several weeks ago, Rhodes and AEW President Tony Khan hit a snag in negotiations for Rhodes' new deal over pay. That led to the end of their discussions and within AEW among some wrestlers, the departure had at least been suspected.
ESPN's Mike Coppinger reported that Rhodes informed Khan this morning he was leaving AEW, but Rhodes was not at the Atlantic City taping this past Wednesday and one source noted that his road case, containing his gear and other belongings for the road, had been cleaned out, which some saw as a sign that he was "as good as gone." Until that point, all expectations had been that Cody and Brandi would be remaining with the company and there had been plans for them to each be at upcoming Dynamite tapings, at least until this week.
There are some who believe this must mean Rhodes will be signing with WWE. WWE sources confirmed they have had "contact" with Rhodes dating back to his AEW deal expiring at the end of 2021. There is no official word that he has signed with the company but all signs are that its close. Should he choose to do so, he would be free and clear to appear on WWE TV immediately. Rhodes has a long relationship with John Laurinaitis, who first signed him to a WWE developmental deal back in 2006.
We are told that there was an excitement among some who work in WWE about the potential of Rhodes coming in as a talent while others noted that from a strategic standpoint, Rhodes would be the first AEW to WWE jump who would also have intimate knowledge of how the company ran and operated given his position as an EVP, which Rhodes took extremely seriously the last several years.
As of this afternoon, Rhodes was not on the company's internal talent roster but the signing from their perspective, makes sense and is unless there's another major shift in the trajectory of things, is expected to happen by several we spoke to today. One source even believed Rhodes could at the WWE Performance Center as early as this weekend in preparation for a return.
WWE is in a position where they need fresh talent and obviously, WWE could present him as a big star as the first "jump" from AEW to try and make waves and also create the perception that the tide is turning against AEW and back towards WWE. One WWE source noted today that if they pushed Rhodes and gave him a big Wrestlemania match or title push, the subliminal message to all the other AEW stars is that this would be an example of how they would be treated if they made their way to WWE. Of course, that's what a WWE source is going to say, the most positive representation of what *could* happen.
Let's remember, it could be just as possible that WWE casts Rhodes back in a mid-card Stardust position, placing him back where he was all those years ago that made him ask out of his WWE deal to begin with in 2016. When you think about it, Rhodes right now is in a situation similar to John Morrison (before Morrison's WWE return) in that they each got to create a great body of work outside of WWE. In the case of Morrison, when he decided to return to the company, he was unfortunately slotted right back into the mid-card where he just stayed and there was no growth of his character at all from where he was when he first left the company. In a few weeks, it was as if he never left.
For the Cody Rhodes of 2016, such a mid-card placement and a life back on the road full-time might be a fate worse than death, but in 2022, this is an older Rhodes with a family who just a few weeks ago, told PWInsider.com that noted his priorities had changed after the birth of his daughter Liberty:
"Well, now that I have a child, I'm starting to look at the actual numbers on the checks, because for so long, I didn't care at all. I was, "Yeah, I want to be a wrestler." It doesn't matter what you pay me. Now you're starting to look at it like, "Okay, we've got to get this college fund. We've got to get this set up for this beautiful little girl." But the number one thing she's done for me, and this is, my life is about her at this point, and I can't see that changing forever. But the number one thing she's done for me personally, is, it has taken a lot of the selfishness away from me. All wrestlers are selfish, all wrestlers have egos, and if you meet one who doesn't, they're not a good wrestler or they're lying. But, I care a lot less about what happens to Cody Rhodes in terms of, I care a lot less about bad versus, what happens to Liberty and how does Liberty perceive this?"
Within AEW, obviously Rhodes' tentacles run long as number of his Nightmare Academy associates and students are involved with the company. There are some who were very down today upon learning Rhodes was gone as he was someone who made time for everyone. For those who have asked about how Rhodes leaving will change the day to day of the company, I don't expect much will change. The longer AEW has run, the more responsibilities and duties Tony Khan has taken on for himself and while Rhodes was an important lieutenant to Khan (think Triple H to Vince McMahon or Tommy Dreamer to Paul Heyman), at the end of the day, AEW's major decisions and directives were one in the same with Tony Khan the person. That won't change.
What today does mark is the end of an important chapter for AEW as the original Elite group that promoted "All In" under the Ring of Honor banner and later signed with Tony Khan to found AEW are no longer all under one roof. The legacy of what they all built will always be an important piece of pro wrestling history, even as Rhodes becomes the first one to branch off on his own outside of those accomplishments to determine what his next chapter in life and pro wrestling will be.
Other notes in relation to Cody-AEW:
For those who have asked if this is some intricate work, we are told that is not the case in the least.
For those who have asked about Dustin Rhodes, we have not heard of any changes in his status with AEW.
Obviously, the Rhodes to the Top reality series will not be moving forward for a second season. There is no word whether Rhodes is still contractually obligated to TBS' Go-Big Show should it be picked up for a third season.
Attempts to reach Rhodes and Khan today were unsuccessful.
AEW's Public Relations today referred all questions back to the statement released this morning by Tony Khan.
At the end of the day, like all things do, it came down to money.
PWInsider.com has heard from multiple sources that several weeks ago, Rhodes and AEW President Tony Khan hit a snag in negotiations for Rhodes' new deal over pay. That led to the end of their discussions and within AEW among some wrestlers, the departure had at least been suspected.
ESPN's Mike Coppinger reported that Rhodes informed Khan this morning he was leaving AEW, but Rhodes was not at the Atlantic City taping this past Wednesday and one source noted that his road case, containing his gear and other belongings for the road, had been cleaned out, which some saw as a sign that he was "as good as gone." Until that point, all expectations had been that Cody and Brandi would be remaining with the company and there had been plans for them to each be at upcoming Dynamite tapings, at least until this week.
There are some who believe this must mean Rhodes will be signing with WWE. WWE sources confirmed they have had "contact" with Rhodes dating back to his AEW deal expiring at the end of 2021. There is no official word that he has signed with the company but all signs are that its close. Should he choose to do so, he would be free and clear to appear on WWE TV immediately. Rhodes has a long relationship with John Laurinaitis, who first signed him to a WWE developmental deal back in 2006.
We are told that there was an excitement among some who work in WWE about the potential of Rhodes coming in as a talent while others noted that from a strategic standpoint, Rhodes would be the first AEW to WWE jump who would also have intimate knowledge of how the company ran and operated given his position as an EVP, which Rhodes took extremely seriously the last several years.
As of this afternoon, Rhodes was not on the company's internal talent roster but the signing from their perspective, makes sense and is unless there's another major shift in the trajectory of things, is expected to happen by several we spoke to today. One source even believed Rhodes could at the WWE Performance Center as early as this weekend in preparation for a return.
WWE is in a position where they need fresh talent and obviously, WWE could present him as a big star as the first "jump" from AEW to try and make waves and also create the perception that the tide is turning against AEW and back towards WWE. One WWE source noted today that if they pushed Rhodes and gave him a big Wrestlemania match or title push, the subliminal message to all the other AEW stars is that this would be an example of how they would be treated if they made their way to WWE. Of course, that's what a WWE source is going to say, the most positive representation of what *could* happen.
Let's remember, it could be just as possible that WWE casts Rhodes back in a mid-card Stardust position, placing him back where he was all those years ago that made him ask out of his WWE deal to begin with in 2016. When you think about it, Rhodes right now is in a situation similar to John Morrison (before Morrison's WWE return) in that they each got to create a great body of work outside of WWE. In the case of Morrison, when he decided to return to the company, he was unfortunately slotted right back into the mid-card where he just stayed and there was no growth of his character at all from where he was when he first left the company. In a few weeks, it was as if he never left.
For the Cody Rhodes of 2016, such a mid-card placement and a life back on the road full-time might be a fate worse than death, but in 2022, this is an older Rhodes with a family who just a few weeks ago, told PWInsider.com that noted his priorities had changed after the birth of his daughter Liberty:
"Well, now that I have a child, I'm starting to look at the actual numbers on the checks, because for so long, I didn't care at all. I was, "Yeah, I want to be a wrestler." It doesn't matter what you pay me. Now you're starting to look at it like, "Okay, we've got to get this college fund. We've got to get this set up for this beautiful little girl." But the number one thing she's done for me, and this is, my life is about her at this point, and I can't see that changing forever. But the number one thing she's done for me personally, is, it has taken a lot of the selfishness away from me. All wrestlers are selfish, all wrestlers have egos, and if you meet one who doesn't, they're not a good wrestler or they're lying. But, I care a lot less about what happens to Cody Rhodes in terms of, I care a lot less about bad versus, what happens to Liberty and how does Liberty perceive this?"
Within AEW, obviously Rhodes' tentacles run long as number of his Nightmare Academy associates and students are involved with the company. There are some who were very down today upon learning Rhodes was gone as he was someone who made time for everyone. For those who have asked about how Rhodes leaving will change the day to day of the company, I don't expect much will change. The longer AEW has run, the more responsibilities and duties Tony Khan has taken on for himself and while Rhodes was an important lieutenant to Khan (think Triple H to Vince McMahon or Tommy Dreamer to Paul Heyman), at the end of the day, AEW's major decisions and directives were one in the same with Tony Khan the person. That won't change.
What today does mark is the end of an important chapter for AEW as the original Elite group that promoted "All In" under the Ring of Honor banner and later signed with Tony Khan to found AEW are no longer all under one roof. The legacy of what they all built will always be an important piece of pro wrestling history, even as Rhodes becomes the first one to branch off on his own outside of those accomplishments to determine what his next chapter in life and pro wrestling will be.
Other notes in relation to Cody-AEW:
For those who have asked if this is some intricate work, we are told that is not the case in the least.
For those who have asked about Dustin Rhodes, we have not heard of any changes in his status with AEW.
Obviously, the Rhodes to the Top reality series will not be moving forward for a second season. There is no word whether Rhodes is still contractually obligated to TBS' Go-Big Show should it be picked up for a third season.
Attempts to reach Rhodes and Khan today were unsuccessful.
AEW's Public Relations today referred all questions back to the statement released this morning by Tony Khan.
OGDirtyD
NAWF ATLANTA ×
Well WrestleMania just got the shot it needed in its arms. Im oretty excited now to see who his opponent will be. Still shocked tho he was one of the main organs in AEW but this is thr big back and forth talent transitions I was hoping to see once AEW bodied NXT and started aiming toward the big show.
IP360
Doctorate & Ph.D in Bootyology
Now this is sad. Lol
TonyDubbz
Legion of Trill | Keep god in ya life, fuck nigga
i dont even know if she would come back if they told her she was gonna be announcing again because she hated it and wanted to be a wrestler.
if they really are coming back then send her ass to NXT..
Mandy down there developing. She could do the same
OGDirtyD
NAWF ATLANTA ×
They just had a baby. She probabaly going to be focusing on that while Cody lives out his main event WWE run.
TonyDubbz
Legion of Trill | Keep god in ya life, fuck nigga
I dont think its a work anymore fam
especially now that they done mentioned the reality show being canned
TonyDubbz
Legion of Trill | Keep god in ya life, fuck nigga
Lol nah Cody goin back to WWE says more about him than it does WWE..
they never threw shots at him when he left.. + he knows what hes walking into if he comes back
Remember the sledgehammer and the throne? Yea it kinda looks bad on Cody if he goes back there
IP360
Doctorate & Ph.D in Bootyology
It either gotta be the cash...or more creative control. Or promise of a lengthy title reign. B/c he was unhappy when he was there...shyt ain't change