"I’m not blind to the potential of these crossovers" - AEW's Cody Rhodes on who he'd like to wrestle from New Japan Pro Wrestling
Wrestling fans haven't stopped talking about the possibilities since KENTA appeared on Dynamite, kicking open the forbidden door between AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Cody Rhodes sat down with Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post to discuss the relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling and what the crossover means to AEW.
"I’m all AEW, but I’m not blind to the potential of these crossovers. I do think when travel restrictions lift, perhaps there are crossover matches, the dream matches that are available for us. I know in my heart that there is somebody I’d love to wrestle from New Japan. I didn’t get the opportunity and time is running out on that opportunity."
Cody Rhodes discusses potential matches between AEW and NJPW
Rhodes spent plenty of time in New Japan after leaving WWE in 2016, so he's no stranger to the great talent over there that he and other members of the AEW roster could have fantastic matches with.
"I’m a big fan of The Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi). I like to challenge myself and they have a great roster in terms of (Kazuchika) Okada, Jay White and of course (Kota) Ibushi, who I got to wrestle so many times, and many people. (Tomohiro) Ishii, my gosh. There’s some good potential there for crossover elements and good friendly relations, but I also want to never forget that we have a loaded locker room of men and women who are champing at the bit to get in this two-hour time slot and I always look at AEW first. Just respectably to any other company, I’m probably the most guarded up when it comes to crossovers."
Rhodes does bring up a very valid point when it comes to television time for the stacked AEW roster. With only two hours of television currently every week on TNT, these crossovers have indeed become a balancing act.
So, you don't necessarily upset your own locker room by letting other company's wrestlers get more TV time than them. It's something that wrestling fans will probably be paying close attention to throughout the year.
What potential dream matches would you like to see come from the partnership between AEW and New Japan? Is there anyone in New Japan you'd specifically like to see Rhodes face? Let us know by sounding off in the comments section below.