"I think it was a bad decision" - Top AEW star confesses Cody Rhodes made a big mistake during his time in Tony Khan's promotion
A top star from AEW recently shared the view that one of the company's foundational talents, Cody Rhodes, made a big mistake during his tenure in the promotion. The talent in question is Matt Hardy.
Cody Rhodes reinvented himself as a performer after departing from WWE in May 2016. The former Intercontinental Champion paved his own path, working in several promotions including ROH, IMPACT, and NJPW. In 2019, Rhodes, along with The Elite, signed with and helped form AEW.
Rhodes was a major star in the Jacksonville-based promotion and was involved in major programs in the early days of the company. During his rivalry against Chris Jericho and his Inner Circle, the American Nightmare declared that if he failed to win the AEW World Championship from the Ocho at the 2019 PPV Full Gear, he would never challenge for the world title again. Rhodes lost to Jericho at the event and kept his word for the remainder of his AEW career.
Speaking on the Extreme Life of Matt Hardy with Jon Alba, Matt Hardy provided his insight on Rhodes' early AEW run. He suggested that the 38-year-old star intended to assure the locker room and the fans that his executive position in the company would not lead to biased booking in his favor. However, he argued that it was an unwise decision, as a huge section of the audience wanted to see his character thrive as a top star and champion.
"I think Cody was trying to be the bigger person and I think Cody was trying to be a certain example, saying like, 'Sure, I'm in management, I'm in booking, but I'm not gonna make this show about me, I'm not gonna book it around me, and I think it was his effort to try and guarantee especially the, the smarter fans in the AEW audience that um, like, 'Hey, I'm not gonna book myself to become the world champion here in AEW.' So he voluntarily took himself out of that. But I think at the end of the day that, uh, that it was very handicapping, because he, he was a critical player, as you said, one of the most popular guys, and there were going to be people that were going to rally behind the Cody Rhodes character and they wanted to see him on top," Hardy said.
The former ECW World Heavyweight Champion further added:
"And, and, even if that didn't happen, you know, against the champion at that time there was going to be champions down the road that he could've had programs with where they could've made more money, it could've been a compelling rivalry, it could've been compelling matches. You know, and and I, I, I think, it was, I think it was a bad decision, I think there was good intent behind it but at the end of the day I think it was a bad decision which really handicapped what Cody could do as being a premier player in AEW." (59:17 - 1:00:38)
Check out Hardy's comments in the video below:
Dave Meltzer thinks there is a "0%" chance Cody Rhodes will return to AEW
Cody Rhodes' road to WrestleMania 40 has caused some controversy in the wrestling world. Despite winning the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble, Rhodes seemingly gave up his shot at Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on the February 2 episode of SmackDown and introduced The Rock as a possible substitute.
The switch in plans led to the rise of a vocal movement among fans, who supported the former TNT Champion's quest to finish the story in Philadelphia. While many believed that the Mania snub might steer Rhodes back to AEW, Dave Meltzer thinks there is no chance that could be a possibility.
Replying to a user on X asking whether the former All Elite Wrestling EVP could return to the promotion in light of his recent booking, Meltzer wrote a brief answer.
"0%," Meltzer tweeted.
Check out the tweet below:
Meltzer's comment seems to have been validated as Cody Rhodes is officially set to face Roman Reigns in Philadelphia in April 2024.
What are your thoughts on Rhodes vs Reigns? Let us know below!