All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has addressed the idea of the promotion signing recently released WWE Superstar Zack Ryder. Taking part in a Q&A session via Instagram, Cody was asked whether fans could expect to see Ryder show up in AEW in the future. Although he clearly holds Ryder in high regard, Cody stressed how he didn’t want the company to become “All Friends Wrestling.”
Cody Rhodes noted how Ryder is the best and has managed to earn a broad social media following across Twitter and Instagram. “Very broad influence, incredibly famous, more famous than many guys out there. But that doesn’t always translate.” He noted how the biggest hurdle Ryder will face will be their pre-existing friendship.
“The American Nightmare” shared how Ryder is one of his really close friends in wrestling. He noted how Ryder may be his “only friend” in wrestling. Cody then stressed AEW can’t just be “All Friends Wrestling.”
“You have to handle it the best way,” Cody Rhodes explained. “If you put on the Nightmare Family jacket, you’ve got a massive bullseye on your back, just in the locker room alone. It’s a total heat seeker. But I’m looking forward to what he does next. He’ll turn a lot of heads. I think and hope our paths will cross down the road. He’s just entering wrestler prime. Men’s wrestler prime is 35 to 40.”
When Ryder was first released, Cody Rhodes uploaded an honest, emotional response to the news. He stressed how Ryder’s best days are “ahead of him” and that he believes he will succeed, wherever he ends up.