"That was completely his idea" - WWE legend discloses the reason Cody Rhodes decided to stay away from the AEW World Title picture
Former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho has taken the time to look back at one of All Elite Wrestling's earliest high-profile bouts: his match against Cody Rhodes at Full Gear 2019.
Both Jericho and Rhodes were unbeaten in singles competition going into AEW's final pay-per-view of 2019, so the stakes couldn't have been higher for both men.
Cody Rhodes decided to up the ante in the build-up to the show, stating that he would never challenge for the AEW World Championship again if he lost the match. However, this backfired as Rhodes was defeated when MJF threw in the towel.
But what possessed Cody Rhodes to make such a high stakes decision? Chris Jericho disclosed this on the latest episode of "Talk is Jericho", noting that it was always Cody's idea to make the match this way.
“He was adamant. I’m still not too sure why he put that rule that he can never challenge for the world title again. For whatever reason, that was completely his idea. I guess maybe he wanted people to know that he wasn’t just gonna win the title. He wanted to be the face of the company."
Jericho also stated that unlike The Elite, who did their EVP duties "in the shadows," Cody always strove to be front and center.
"We’re all faces of the company but he really embraced the EVP part of it. The other guys kind of did it in the shadows, but he was doing it on camera and all that sort of thing. So I think he wanted people to understand that he wasn’t gonna take advantage of this position that he was in and he did the ‘I’ll never fight for the world title.'” (H/T SEScoops)
While Cody Rhodes could never win the world title, Chris Jericho could soon become a two-time AEW Champion
Since he left AEW in February 2022, it seems very unlikely that Cody Rhodes will ever become the AEW World Champion. However, it's quite the opposite for Chris Jericho, who is looking to become a two-time AEW World Champion before the month is out.
Jericho will compete in the semi-finals of the AEW Tournament of Champions this week on Dynamite against the man he defeated at All Out, Bryan Danielson.
#AEWDynamite is TONIGHT at 8pm ET/7pm CT & 8pm PT LIVE on @TBSNetwork
•Grand Slam Tournament of Champions Semi-finals:
-@JonMoxley v @SammyGuevara
-@IAmJericho v @BryanDanielson
•#ToniStorm + @AthenaPalmer_FG v Dr. @RealBrittBaker + @SerenaDeeb https://t.co/t1I4Js0Mer
The winner of the match will face either Jon Moxley or Sammy Guevara in the tournament final at Dynamite: Grand Slam on September 21.
Will Jericho become a two-time champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below!