Cody Rhodes has left AEW. After helping found the company in 2019 as both executive vice president and regular on-air talent for the promotion, many fans assumed that the beloved wrestler would remain loyal through thick and thin. And he did for a while, but some form of growing divide between Rhodes, his partner Brandi, and All Elite Wrestling founder Tony Khan has resulted in their departure. To call it a shock would be an understatement.
All parties released extensive statements earlier this week confirming the rumoured news, making it clear that the split was amicable, and they wish one another continued success. Who knows if all of this is the truth, but one thing is clear – Cody Rhodes leaving AEW is massive, and where he goes will be equally consequential. He could return to New Japan Pro Wrestling or once again become a regular on the indie circuit, now outfitted with a much larger profile that will likely see him carry titles and helm main events like never before.
But one rumour stands out above all, and that’s a potential return to WWE, the very same company that Rhodes left behind so many years ago because he wasn’t treated with the respect he deserved. He spent years floundering in the mid-card, seldom receiving a push as he was forced to saddle gimmicks that never made effective use of his full potential. I can see why he decided to leave and found AEW, a place where talent could be taken seriously and realise that being a pro wrestler doesn’t end with WWE anymore. It is far from an unbeatable summit, and instead another location on a career filled with highlights.
I’ll admit that WWE has seen better days. The Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Eras saw the growth of countless global megastars like Stone Cold, The Rock, John Cena, Batista, and so, so many others. While recent times have allowed names like Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins to become legends in their own right, you’d be foolish to compare it to a period when many wrestlers were household names even your parents could freely reference.
Now the promotion relies on part-timers like Brock Lesnar while continually dredging up legends like The Undertaker and Bill Goldberg to sell Network subscriptions and PPV tickets. It’s a distinct lack of creativity and a sign of WWE’s failure to both recognise and foster new talent. Even fan favourites like AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, and Shinsuke Nakamura are ruined due to poor booking and a lack of care from management, leaving them to stew in mediocrity when they could be achieving so much more. It sucks, and I’m surprised that Cody Rhodes is rumoured to return to an environment that he once all but swore to leave behind.
That being said, it’s a very exciting proposition. I imagine Vince McMahon is keenly aware of Cody Rhodes’ popularity and the growing relevance of AEW. They are a genuine competitor now, and one of its founding fathers jumping ship to a rival promotion would draw eyes from all sides. I have money on him debuting ahead of or at WrestleMania where he will become a bona fide main event superstar, perhaps being inserted into existing feuds or rivalries where he might even leverage real life circumstances to express heat or sympathy in equal measure. I'd love to see him as a Heel, but he could easily pull off a Babyface persona given his popularity and natural ability to win over fans. He’s a modern legend.
Cody Rhodes is likely aware that a return to AEW isn’t off the cards, and with the company attracting a growing level of renown talent, he is no longer needed as a figurehead to steer things in the right direction. His baby has grown up, and thus he has naturally faded into the background as other stars emerge and take centre stage. Returning to WWE almost feels like a no-brainer when we consider things from this perspective. This is a man with a newly procured level of circumstance and respect, now having the presence of a superstar who can main event major PPVs and draw in crowds from AEW, NJPW, and even further afield.
Ever since the fall of WCW, the wrestling landscape has felt smaller and smaller with each passing year. NJPW continued to be a huge success in its homeland, while smaller promotions like Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor attracted an ample amount of emerging talent, but none of them could ever dream of touching WWE. Then AEW came along and shattered the illusion that McMahon’s house was untouchable. It isn’t anymore, because a bunch of independent superstars came together and saw that they and this craft deserved so much better. Cody Rhodes was a fundamental part of that movement, so returning to the land that once all but forced him out will change how we perceive things forever.
His return to WWE could make wrestling as a whole feel more ambitious, blurring the lines between kayfabe and reality in a way that only a few athletes have done so in the past. This is CM Punk winning the title at Money in the Bank and leaving the company level of serious, and as I fan I cannot wait to see it unfold. Bring on WrestleMania, things just got interesting.
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