On Monday, we had the chance to speak with Cody Rhodes, Executive Vice President of All Elite Wrestling. In Part 1 of our recap, Cody spoke about how AEW will be different from WWE and the possibility of win-loss records and rankings. In this installment, Cody says AEW isn’t just sitting back while WWE and Ring of Honor sign all the top free agents out there. We also learn about what the future holds for Being The Elite once AEW gets on television.
Signing New Talent
In recent months, WWE, NJPW, MLW and Impact have been signing talent at an unprecedented rate. Guys like WALTER, Bandito, Trevor Lee, PCO, The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart, Brian Pillman Jr. and Davey Boy Smith Jr.), Juice Robinson and Rocky Romero are among the performers getting locked into new deals.
When questioned about other companies signing talent, Cody replied, “So are we. I signed four people today alone. So we’re doing everything in our power and I think we cover a lot of ends of the spectrum for what we look for. Matt and Nick look for a very next-generation style of talent and I look for a very traditional style of talent. We meet somewhere in the middle. I really like that the three of us are able to get out there and scout. This has been the last few weeks, it’s still very new to me. I’ve never been ‘this guy.’ Making the calls, ‘here’s what we’re offering, please let us know if you have any questions, let me get you the legal’ – some of this stuff to me, I get a kick out of it, this is my dream job.”
The Future of Being The Elite
Being The Elite has been an invaluable tool for The Young Bucks (and company) in terms of building an army of supporters. The weekly Youtube show has helped the Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, Marty Scurll and SoCal Uncensored develop their characters and most importantly, increase their brand equity. All In and ultimately All Elite Wrestling were built upon the foundation of Being The Elite.
What does the future hold for Being The Elite once AEW is on television every week? Will we see elements of BTE incorporated into the AEW universe?
“Matt and Nick have done such a wonderful thing with Being The Elite,” Cody said. “Critics of it can watch and say it’s silly, but it translates to the live shows. I’ll give you the best example: Flip Gordon. He would not be in the role he is today with Ring of Honor without Matt and Nick. They helped showcase a side of me that I never had. They helped spotlight Marty. They’ve helped numerous talents. Until we get another medium, on our way to Double or Nothing, a great deal of what’s happening behind the scenes will be shown on Being The Elite.”
Cody joked, “We’re three idiots!” in reference to himself and AEW Executive Vice Presidents Nick and Matt Jackson. “A great deal of what we’re going to be doing is going to be on Being The Elite. I am sure that Being The Elite will be part of AEW as long as both of them are around because it’s massively important to all of us. Sometimes it’s tricky to film because they’ve always got that phone in your face, but it’s worth it.  I think everyone whose ever been on Being The Elite for a second has benefitted. This week alone, we have a debut in MJF. I love Being The Elite, I love what it’s done. Hangman Page is another great example. I am sure it will go hand in hand with AEW.”
Stay tuned to SEScoops.com this week as we publish the next parts of our exclusive interview with Cody Rhodes.Â
