Fans now know who will be in the finals of the tournament that will determine the inaugural AEW TNT Champion as those competitors have been revealed. 

The semi-finals of the tournament took place on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT at the Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. The pair of the matches saw Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin and Dustin Rhodes against Lance Archer. 

As seen on the show, Cody went over Allin in the opening match while Archer beat Rhodes in the main event. 

The finals between Cody and Archer will see to find out who will be the first-ever TNT Champion. 

The finals of the tournament will take place at AEW’s next pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing. 

All Elite Wrestling was planning to hold this show from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 23rd but plans changed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. 

It’s been reported by Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline.com that the current plans call for the show to take place from Jacksonville, Florida. The belief is that the show will air from Daily’s Place. 

As of this writing, no other matches for the show have been announced thus far. 

• Backstage Update On AEW Taping Schedule & Location

AEW star Cody has filed an application to trademark his WWE ring name Cody Rhodes for merchandising and entertainment service usage.

The former WWE star has stated previously that he is free to use the name if he wants to but latest updates reveal that WWE still owned the trademark for it up until now.

According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office, WWE’s trademark of the name expired on October 13, 2019. The company was given a 6 month grace period to re-file for the trademark. That period expired earlier this month on April 12th.

WWE officials did not make a move to secure the name they have owned since June 2007, a month before Cody Rhodes made his main roster debut on Raw.

The AEW star was quick to act on the opportunity. The USPTO filing reveals that he sent out an application for the trademark on April 13, a day after WWE’s claim on the name ended.

• Also Read: WWE Star Reveals How She Feels About Working Shows Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

This is not the first time Cody Rhodes has attempted to trademark a name previously owned by WWE. The AEW VP previously managed to trademark several WCW PPV names including the Bash At The Beach name they used for a show earlier this year.

Though the former WWE star’s attempt to trademark the name Dusty Rhodes was rejected last year and it would now be interesting to see if he manages to get the rights for his old ring name without any problem.

Cody Rhodes took part in an “AMA” (Ask Me Anything) on Wednesday with Bleacher Report where he addressed the status of the fabled AEW video game.

Cody gave a candid update on the project. He let fans know this is a big project and they are taking it seriously. AEW does a great job with their “Road To” hype videos for pay-per-views and big events. They plan to take a similar approach with this game.

“I’ll give the honest update: the AEW video game will be something all fans know about as we begin the process and as we move forward. If we were to make a very good game, which is our intention, it’s going to take time.”

He continued, “Game development is arduous, it’s a very creative space, and we want to do it right. We will keep people updated, it won’t come as a surprise, we want them to take the journey with us. Be extra patient so we can deliver.”

• Kenny Omega Comments On The AEW Video Game

AEW Video Game

The discussion of a possible video game for All Elite Wrestling started back in July 2019 when Matt Jackson confirmed there had been talks of a potential game for the promotion but didn’t disclose any other details. 

Fast forward, Kenny Omega, who is a big video game fan, has also stated that he’s made it his personal mission to bring back the classic AKI game engine used for famous wrestling games. 

Games such as No Mercy and WrestleMania 2000. Back in March, Cody also talked about the game at C2E2. This is where he noted that there is a very specific type of game that people want.

He also pointed out that there is a very specific engine that people want and Omega would make an announcement about it soon. Thus, it appears we’ll just have to wait for it. 

• WWE 2K21 Reportedly Canceled, New Game In The Works

Cody Rhodes was recently interviewed by Bleacher Report Live. During the conversation, he spoke about his loose connection to the Netflix docu-series, “Tiger King.”

According to Cody, 5 years ago he was told the stories about Carole Baskin as if they were complete fact. “I have this very loose kind of connection to Tiger King,” Cody said during the interview. “Very loose. As far as, I went to a sanctuary that was in Melrose, Florida. A really great Tiger sanctuary called Single Vision. They took tigers that, situations like Joe Exotic – there’s a bit of an epidemic in this country with people who get these big cats and then don’t know what to do with them like you saw on the show. So they would go to places like Joe or Carole.”

Cody continued to say that when deciding which Tiger sanctuary to go to, he and Brandi were told the stories about Carole Baskin.

“I’m trying not to implicate anyone. I had heard the Carole Baskin story like 5 years ago. It was just a universally known thing amongst that world, that tiger world, like ‘hey don’t mess with her, this is what she did.” Now, I’m not saying I believe it but I was told as if it was absolute fact. So when it was brought up on the show, my mind was blown! Now I’ve heard this from multiple people in the animal world and now it’s for everyone to see again. I really enjoyed Tiger King, a very crazy outlook on a unique situation.”

Cody continued to talk about who told them the stories about Carole Baskin, though he did not implicate anyone personally.

“We were debating do we go to Big Cat Sanctuary or do we go to our other place. And the individual was like ‘you don’t want to go to the former because…’ and that’s where we heard it for the first time.”

• Joe Exotic Has Ties To Pro Wrestling, Because Of Course

Cody’s comments can be heard in the player below:

All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has shared his thoughts on WWE’s Cesaro, calling the SmackDown Superstar the “most underrated guy on the planet.”

Cody shared his thoughts on Twitter after seeing a fan share a photo of Cody mid-moonsault. He then responded to another fan who complimented his December 26, 2013 Steel Cage matchup with his brother, Goldust. The duo teamed up against The Real Americans, Jack Swagger and Cesaro. During that Madison Square Garden Live Event, Cody Rhodes would moonsault off the top of the cage onto Cesaro.

“The American Nightmare” stated how that was a good match before praising Cesaro. He wrote how “Claudio is the most underrated guy on the planet(and he’s still highly rated!). Dude can do anything. Like a PWG Nikita Koloff.”

Cody Rhodes recently advanced in the TNT Championship Tournament being held on AEW Dynamite. He defeated rival Shawn Spears. He will now meet the winner of Inner Circle member Sammy Guevara and Darby Allin in the semi-finals of the tournament. During last night’s episode of Dynamite, Lance Archer defeated Colt Cabana on the other side of the bracket to advance.

Cesaro, meanwhile, recently enjoyed a successful WrestleMania victory. He opened up the two-day event during Night One’s Pre-Show, defeating Drew Gulak.

AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes has taken a moment to share his thoughts on the recently released WWE Superstar Zack Ryder. Cody shared his feelings after news broke regarding the release of several WWE staff and Superstars.

Cody Rhodes uploaded a photo of Ryder’s WrestleMania 32 Ladder Match victory, where he won the Intercontinental Championship. He accompanied it with a heartfelt caption, highlighting Ryder’s extensive WWE career, his accomplishments, and his tenacity and perseverance.

Cody wrote how “In a world of weekend warriors and “play wrestlers”, this dude exudes passion and drive for pro-wrestling like no other.”

He reflected on how Ryder would continually try to better himself whether it was his in-ring work or in molding “his body into such a specimen DRUG FREE with hard work and will.”

Cody then shared how he has a rule in wrestling. To him, if you have gotten over with the fans before, you can do it again. Cody stressed how this rule fully applies to Ryder. He noted how at only 34-years-old, Ryder’s best days are ahead of him. He reflected on how “future endeavors are limitless when you actually endeavor.”

Cody Rhodes On His Picture Choice

“The American Nightmare” then explained why he chose Ryder’s WrestleMania victory for the picture. Cody shared how that day was one of his with WWE. He wrote how it was a special moment to witness people erupt when Ryder claimed the title. Even more so when Ryder’s father jumped into the ring to embrace his son.

“Hearing Dolph coordinate for his father to come over the rails(meanwhile I was ass deep into a broken ladder and stuck but had the best seat in the house) and seeing father/son embrace, I thought I’d be jealous or bitter, but I was truly happy and proud for one of my peers. Congratulations my friend, and good luck!”

Cody Rhodes has detailed All Elite Wrestling’s safety measures relating to coronavirus concerns. Joining SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Cody explained how the promotion has been handling coronavirus precautions whilst taping episodes of their TNT show, Dynamite.

Cody explained how AEW doesn’t have a central office. Instead, their core management is “all over the place” with key personnel in LA, Canada, Atlanta, and Jacksonville. He noted how complying with varying state regulations regarding the coronavirus has been easy as they all work from home anyway. 

He spoke about how he’s been so impressed with all of AEW’s wrestlers and staff for stepping up during this time. Cody noted how he’s glad Brandi Rhodes lobbied for a medical team when AEW first started, and that the promotion has “all the perks of a high end wrestling company.”

As far as he’s concerned, you have to have these things for your athletes to support them.

Cody Rhodes Shares AEW’s Safety Precautions

Cody Rhodes then revealed how Brandi picked Dr. Sampson to work with AEW. Dr. Sampson famously assisted Jerry Lawler after he suffered a heart attack during a live episode of Monday Night RAW. Cody explained how Dr. Sampson is not a ‘yes’ Doctor. When it came to protecting AEW talent from the coronavirus, “[…] he put in a really rigorous amount of guidelines. And everyone was able to follow them and that was something I was very proud of.”

He then shared his experiences self-quarantining in a Jacksonville hotel, calling it something he would never forget. This was done so AEW could keep numbers under 10 at the arena for Dynamite tapings.

When at the tapings, “You’re in your own room and then the ropes themselves are being sanitised you’re getting your temperature checked. Getting quarantine questions, a page long, all of those things that were put in place that were the right thing to do.”

Cody Rhodes defeated Shawn Spears on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. This victory sees him advance in AEW’s TNT Championship Tournament. 

Executive Vice President of AEW Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Busted Open Radio. The former WWE Superstar would discuss a plethora of topics regarding AEW’s ongoing taping schedule and the way that they are dealing with the COVID-19 coronavirus situation.

One of the topics brought up was that of Brodie Lee’s Exalted One character. Over the past few weeks there have been vignettes with Lee that show him to have characteristics akin to WWE CEO Vince McMahon. Cody was asked about this on Busted Open, and he denied that the character is an ‘outright parody’ of McMahon.

Cody Rhodes on the Exalted One

“I could never tell you the original plan. And I don’t even know if there ever even was an original plan” Cody began. “I will say it’s very unlikely on AEW you’ll ever hear the name Vince McMahon said.”

Cody Rhodes would then go on to talk about his respect for McMahon and his time in WWE. “If you do hear me say it [Vince’s name] in interviews? In general I always speak very, very highly of him. Because A) he’s Vince McMahon and B) I was a WWE guy to start. I didn’t come from anywhere else, I came up through their feeder system. They were the house that built me.”

Parallels Between WWE CEO & Brodie Lee

Cody Rhodes would finish by stating that there are definitely parallels between the Exalted One and Vince McMahon. However Cody seems to indicate that these are purely coincidental, and that it’s all down to Brodie Lee’s “style of leadership” for the Dark Order.

“I don’t want to be vague or coy with your question,” Cody said. “When it comes to the parallels between Brody’s style of leadership? There are a lot of unique parallels but I don’t think it’s particularly a spoof on Vince McMahon. We’ll see how develops in the next few weeks, I think Brodie just has a very…’power’ boss, very animal kingdom, kind of social Darwinism type approach to the Dark Order. And I think that falls in line with perhaps some of Vince’s quirks. But it is not an outright spoof on the legendary Mr. McMahon…not outright.”

Check out the video below if you have not already seen the Exalted One on AEW television. Let us know in the comments if you think that it is a spoof on the WWE CEO, is Cody Rhodes playing around with us?

Also Check Out:

• Jim Ross On His Recent Absence From AEW’s Announce Team
• Edge Confirms He Had Talks With ‘Another Company’ Prior To WWE…
• Brandi Rhodes Talks About Critics And Expecting Backlash

All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has reflected on his time in WWE portraying the Stardust character. Responding to a tweet from talkSPORT’s Alex McCarthy, Cody explained how the Stardust gimmick had broken him and that he was a “subpar performer” during that time because of it.

“Not pushing Stardust wasn’t the crime, the character had broke me and I was a subpar performer under the paint during that period. The crime was not capitalizing on 2010-12 where I was cooking with gas and my live event work was top level consistent. In the end, blame is on me.”

Cody would be repackaged with the Stardust gimmick in mid-2014. It would see him don face paint, a bodysuit, and adopt mannerisms that initially aped those of his brother, Goldust.

In 2016, Cody revealed he had officially requested his release from WWE. He later revealed he had “pleaded” with WWE writers to end the Stardust gimmick for over 6 months. Despite pitching several storylines, all of them were ignored.

Cody Rhodes’ Dynamite Double Duty

Cody Rhodes is set for double duty this week on AEW Dynamite. Not only will he be facing off against Jimmy Havoc, he will also be providing commentary duties alongside Tony Schiavone.

For fans tuning in tonight, AEW has also introduced a Cody Commentary Drinking Game. The rules are simple:

• Every time Cody says “Wait a minute…” during commentary, take a drink
• If Cody says “Wait a minute” more than once in a row, chug for 5 seconds

Cody Rhodes previously shared how he had a bad habit on commentary—one he promised to purposefully lean into during the show.

Dynamite takes place from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida in front of zero fans due to the current coronavirus pandemic.

All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes will be pulling double duty at this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Not only will Cody be facing off against Jimmy Havoc, he will also be providing guest commentary duties throughout the night alongside Tony Schiavone. 

Cody revealed the news on his Twitter account, writing: 

“This Wednesday I’ll be joining @tonyschiavone24 on commentary LIVE for #AEWDynamite (I have a bad habit on commentary that I’ll be totally leaning into, and hopefully it turns into something fun for the fans watching at home) More info to come…”

His opponent, Havoc, responded to Cody’s tweet, promising that he won’t be able to deliver any commentary if he takes his tongue during their matchup. 

At the time of writing, it is unknown whether Jim Ross and Excalibur will also be delivering commentary with Cody and Schiavone. Like last week’s episode of Dynamite, this week’s will be performed with zero fans in attendance due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

AEW Dynamite Card 3/25

• AAA Mega Title Matchup: Kenny Omega vs. Sammy Guevara
• Wardlow vs. Luchasaurus in a Lumberjack Match
• Lucha Bros vs. Best Friends in a Parking Lot Street Fight
• Cody Rhodes vs. Jimmy Havoc
• Matt Hardy and Chris Jericho confrontation

This week’s episode of Dynamite takes place at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. It will air this Wednesday on TNT.  

While AEW officials including Cody Rhodes have taken credit for the improved pay rate of WWE talents, they have repeatedly said that the company will not be signing each and every wrestler that leaves WWE.

However, after the recent debuts of Matt Hardy and Brodie Lee, fans have once again started showing concerns over the company filling their roster with ex WWE employees.

One such fan took on his Twitter and responded to Cody Rhodes’ tweet where he welcomed Matt Hardy to AEW, by criticising the company for bringing in more former WWE stars.

Cody Rhodes responded to this fan with a tweet and he wrote: “Talent is talent. Merit based company. We have a great roster from all types of places (mainly blossoming independent stars). It’s a great balance.”

Another fan then posted a list of ex WWE employees which are working for AEW and in response; Cody Rhodes posted a list of his own featuring names who have never signed with the company. You can check out the whole exchange below:

After weeks of rumors and speculations, AEW finally revealed the name of the Exalted One and it turned out to be the former WWE Intercontinental Champion Brodie Lee.

Matt Hardy also made his debut during the same episode of Dynamite and he was revealed to be the final member of The Elite for their upcoming Blood and Guts match against the Inner Circle.

Cody Rhodes has made many bold decisions in recent years. Leaving WWE, starting a new company, announcing a stipulation that he can never challenge for the AEW World title again, and now he’s tattooed the Nightmare Family logo on his neck. He tends to go “All In” on things.

The former NWA and ROH World Champion took to social media to better explain his most recent decision.

“I’m humbled by the run I’ve been on and the love of the fans. Incredibly lucky man.”

Cody commented on his tattoo with the following statement in the post:

“It was very simple, I wear a lot of brands…I wanted to make sure mine was one of them. And I wasn’t hiding it. More details on tomorrow’s “Road To Denver”… – thank you @inkanddaggertattoo@craigbrocktattoo for taking the design and making it a reality!”

Brandi Rhodes commented on Cody’s new tattoo during the AEW Revolution post-event media scrum.

“I’m the one person that doesn’t like the neck tattoo, I don’t like it,” Brandi said. “I’ve said it, there it is.”

“I know a lot of wives like to be really hands-on,” Brandi continued. “My husband makes his own decisions. He’s allowed to make his own decisions. So, if I decided to do something crazy, he can just let me make my own decisions.”

• Closer Look At Cody’s Neck Tattoo, Brandi Gives Her Opinion

Brian Pillman Jr. offered up perhaps the best reasoning as to why Cody got the tattoo where he did.

Tony Khan also commented on Cody’s new ink. Khan said the tattoo looks great if Cody just wants to be a “badass wrestler” but might make it difficult for him to get some acting roles.

• Tony Khan Post-Event Media Scrum Notes

Cody Rhodes debuted a new neck tattoo before yesterday’s AEW Revolution PPV. The tattoo has drawn strong reactions, both positive and negative, from fans.

AEW posted the following closer look at Cody’s new ink:

Brandi Rhodes was asked about the tattoo during the post-event media scrum last night. The former leader of the Nightmare Collective is not a fan of Cody’s new ink.

“I’m the one person that doesn’t like the neck tattoo, I don’t like it,” Brandi said. “I’ve said it, there it is.”

“I know a lot of wives like to be really hands-on,” Brandi said. “My husband makes his own decisions. He’s allowed to make his own decisions. So, if I decided to do something crazy, he can just let me make my own decisions.”

Brian Pillman Jr. offered up an interesting reason as to why Cody put the tattoo in a hard-to-cover place.

GoFundMe Started For Cody’s Tattoo Removal

Some feel so strongly about Cody’s tattoo that they have started a GoFundMe to have it removed.

“Cody just unveiled a horrible tattoo on AEW Revolution. The tattoo clearly was a major factor in him losing his match against MJF, and it’s just really really ugly. I’m sure Cody is embarrassed and probably regrets it.  Let’s raise some money so Cody can afford to get it removed,” a description of the GoFundMe readds.

Cody Rhodes vs. MJF finally happened. 

Rhodes didn’t go over MJF as he got his revenge at Saturday’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view event in Chicago, IL. The finish saw MJF counter a third Cross Rhodes by hitting Cody in the face with a diamond ring for the win. 

The promotion finally announced the match after the February 19th episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT in Atlanta, GA when Rhodes beat Wardlow in a Steel Cage match.  

This comes after Rhodes completed all of the stipulations that MJF demanded. These stips included lashing Cody and Rhodes beating Wardlow. 

After months of MJF acting like he was Rhodes’ friend, he turned on the fan-favorite last November.

Chris Jericho retained as AEW World Heavyweight Championship over Rhodes in the main event of the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view event.

The stipulation coming into this title match last November was the fact that if Cody didn’t beat Jericho then he would never allow himself to challenge for the AEW World Title again. 

MJF threw in the towel while Jericho had Cody in the Walls of Jericho, which resulted in the finish. After the match, MJF kicked him in the nuts and stood over Cody. Since then, the two had been exchanging words to build to this moment. 

Bully Ray Calls Cody Rhodes’ Moonsault from AEW Dynamite “Selfish”

Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) took part in a panel at C2E2 on Friday where they talked about a wide range of topics. 

Matt talked about how they were originally going to announce just one show on New Year’s Eve but things changed once the AEW trademarks leaked they decided to announce the whole promotion. They all recalled how miserably cold that night in Tokyo was when they filmed the announcement vignette.

Matt and Cody recalled how one of their original AEW signings took place at the TGIF.

Also, their gathering to do the Jacksonville rally was Tony Khan’s idea. Matt recalled getting ready to go to Disney World with his family but Tony told him to cut the vacation short and sent a private jet.

Originally, AEW’s weekly television show on TNT was going to be called AEW Revolution but Khan had always envisioned the show being called Dynamite so they saw through his vision. Matt added that Dynamite resonated better than Revolution, according to tests they did. 

Cody brought up how AEW World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho wanted a serious meeting with them early before he signed.

Thus, they invited him to a TGIF in Japan. They got the “backstage” private room and Cody noted Jericho seemed underwhelmed by the meeting.

Cody Rhodes Says Revolution Could Be AEW’s “WrestleMania”

H/T to The Big Dawg on Reddit for the notes

Cody Rhodes says that while AEW has never designated one event as its most important, Revolution may end up being the promotion’s WrestleMania level event. The AEW EVP spoke with Newsweek about the upcoming PPV.

“A lot of people ask us, ‘What’s your WrestleMania? What’s your big event?’ We’ve never designated one event as the big event out of our four pay-per-views,” said Rhodes. “But just kind of going with what my gut is feeling and seeing the marketing element, the thematic element, the staging element, I think Revolution may end up being the big one.”

Revolution marks the fourth and final pay-per-view of All Elite Wrestling’s quarterly PPV calendar. The current roster of AEW pay-per-view events includes Double or Nothing, All Out, Full Gear and Revolution. The promotion also holds occasional ‘special events’ including shows like Fyter Fest, Fight for the Fallen, Bash at the Beach and the Jericho Cruise.

Cody is scheduled to take on Maxwell Jacob Friedman Saturday night in Chicago. The relationship between the former close friends imploded at Full Gear (November 2019) when MJF threw in the towel while in Cody’s corner for his title match against Chris Jericho. The action not only cost Cody the match but also the ability to ever challenge for the AEW World title again.

“If I’m wrong,” Cody continued, “that means one of the others is the big one, so it’s OK. But I have just such a good feeling about February 29th.”

• Cody On If Dusty Rhodes Would Have Left NXT For AEW

Head over to Newsweek.com to check out their full interview with Cody Rhodes.

Below, you can catch up on the entire rivalry between Cody and MJF.

With Cody Rhodes having been such an instrumental part of All Elite Wrestling, some may wonder if his dad—’The American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes—would have been interested in joining his son’s venture following Cody’s WWE departure.

Speaking with Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards on AEW’s official podcast, AEW Unrestricted, Cody Rhodes broached the idea. He stressed how, more than anything, his father had a high regard for loyalty. 

Cody Rhodes On Dusty’s Loyalty

Cody explained how “Hunter gave him that cushy, one day a week job at the Performance Center teaching promos where half the time they were watching movies and it was more like a life class which is what promo class should be.”

He continued, “It was a pretty cushy gig that he had so I don’t know if my mom would let him come work here. I think she would. He was really loyal, and he might have remained loyal. Who knows?”

Dusty’s legacy in NXT continues since his passing in 2015, with the brand hosting an annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in honor of the wrestling legend.

Cody Rhodes is scheduled to clash with Maxwell Jacob Friedman this Saturday at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Revolution. The show takes place in Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.  

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

Cody Rhodes has shared the two main terms the All Elite Wrestling hiring team use when discussing talent. Speaking on a recent episode of AEW Unrestricted, Cody divulged how he, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and Tony Khan use the terms ‘fresh’ and ‘extra credit.’

Cody Rhodes Explains ‘Fresh’ & ‘Extra Credit’

“‘Fresh,’ like people who perhaps we haven’t seen in the wrestling world or who haven’t made in that many locker rooms and on television,” he explained to hosts Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards. 

“But the other one, the term we’d always use is we’d say is ‘extra credit’ and what extra credit means is really just kind of putting a bow on passionate. We were looking for all the people who like doing everything – who like everything.”

He explained that these people come to work and are eager to learn every aspect of the industry. From understanding camera work to refereeing, in-ring work to backstage producing, etc. “Even if they don’t know why I’m standing here, listening and watching, I want to have a ‘master of all’…”

Cody Rhodes is scheduled to compete against his former-best friend Maxwell Jacob Friedman at the promotion’s next pay-per-view, AEW Revolution. The event takes place this Saturday from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. 

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription.

Cody Rhodes was a guest this week on the official AEW podcast, AEW Unrestricted. During the conversation, Cody spoke about the first time he met Tony Khan, liking both Star Wars and Star Trek, his best wrestling trainers, the AEW creative process and more.

“The first time I feel like I really met (Tony Khan), because we had passed each other a few times, I’d even seen him backstage at WWE, but the first time I think I really met him was when I went to a Jags game and I watched the game from the owner’s box and he came up in the middle of the game to talk to us and I got to see how he kind of runs the infrastructure he’s responsible for there, and I was so impressed,” Cody said.

Cody On His Best Pro Wrestling Trainers

He also noted that Robert Gibson was one of his two best wrestling trainers. The other trainer was an acting coach he had in Los Angeles. Cody had hoped to become an actor during a period when he thought he was too small to be a wrestler. He noted that much of what he learned in the acting class he felt was applicable to pro-wrestling. Cody would continue to say that Dusty brought this acting coach into NXT as well.

Cody On AEW’s Creative Process

“The creative process is what we promised people,” Cody said. “It really is different flavors and a different variety.”

“Matt, Nick, Kenny, myself and Tony, the best parallel I can think of is like a band. Everybody plays a different instrument, everybody thinks they’re the lead singer too but if somebody brings a song, you do everything you can… it may not be from your heart and soul but you want to see their process on it, you want to support their process.”

He continued to talk about how the Young Bucks are very fourth-wall poking, Kenny loves Japanese style wrestling and Cody loves old southern wrestling. Cody also said that Tony seems to like everything.

On Star Wars vs Star Trek

Cody also spoke about his love of both Star Wars and Star Trek. Aubrey Edwards pointed out that some feel it’s not okay to like both.

“Star Wars is for everybody, Star Trek is for smart people,” Cody said. “It’s a completely different show and the fact that they were ever compared is so bizarre because one is Camelot and King Arthur and vast legendary fiction and then the other one is the concept of this utopia that happens.”

Cody also found a way to compare Mick Foley to Captain Picard during this part of the conversation.

A link to the full podcast can be found here.

All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has shared how the promotion’s Women’s Division is still “growing.” He made the comments during a recent media call. Cody noted how he is aware of the fan criticism, and that it’s something the company is open to as they work towards improving.

“The women’s division is growing. I actually would say when you hear the criticisms—you hear the good things about your show, things people don’t like and you’ve got to keep your ears open. You can’t be close-minded to it,” he said. “One thing that is going to take time is the women’s division in particular. It’s a merit-based show. It’s a merit-based wrestling show and the best wrestlers are going to wrestle on that show.”

He continued, “I think we have some of the best wrestlers and some of the best women’s wrestlers. I’d really like to see Big Swole emerge. Britt Baker is on absolute fire. Nyla Rose becoming the second AEW Women’s World Champion, an amazing moment and maybe the best match on the best show we’ve done all year. That speaks to the talent level of Nyla and Riho and that international involvement that will always be there as far as bringing in the Joshi talent.”

Cody Rhodes’ Request

Cody Rhodes then asked fans to be patient with AEW as they are “doing everything” possible to further grow the division. He reflected on how popular women’s wrestling has become in recent years. AEW’s ultimate goal is to cultivate the division and make it a big part of their brand going forward.

His brother, Dustin, recently shared a similar sentiment. He acknowledged how the division is taking a “slow, steady” approach towards building and establishing itself.

“The women’s division is developing,” Dustin said. “It is slow, but it is developing, and we will get there over time. You know, this isn’t a race, it’s not a sprint, it’s a slow, steady build, like simmer on the stove, man.”

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription.

Last week on AEW Dynamite, Cody Rhodes wrestled Wardlow in a Steel Cage match. Cody would ensure their clash was a memorable one, delivering a moonsault off the top of the cage. Talking with Sports Illustrated, Cody reflected on his matchup and the backstage reaction to his intentions.

Cody likened his moonsault to one by Terry Funk, noting how “I’m a bigger guy than people think, so the moonsault doesn’t come off easily. The only piece of thinking in my mind was to throw my head back. My body will go where my head will go, that’s something John Laurinaitis and Dean Malenko told me when I first started doing the moonsault. As long as I threw my head back, I knew I’d be OK.”

He argued how this is what he brings to AEW. Cody compared himself to his Elite teammates. He highlighted how Matt and Nick Jackson have introduced a new style of tag team psychology. Kenny Omega delivers a “different way of doing wrestling” that Cody considers important to the evolution of the sport. Hangman is a “big run-and-gun heavyweight.”

What Cody believes he brings is his ability to “plug into the wrestling I grew up on” from the late ’80s to early ’90s. “That style was a little bit more disciplined, a little bit more deliberate, and I complement those guys by doing that.”

Not Everyone Wanted Cody To Do It

Having thought about the moonsault all day leading up to the matchup, Cody shared how there were some backstage who didn’t want him to do it, including AEW President Tony Khan. According to Cody, Khan was “adamant” he didn’t deliver such a dangerous move from such a height.

“I’ve never seen a boss like him and how he leads, and the way he cares about his investments,” he said. “Too many people were trying to talk me out of it. Typically, I’m by the ‘Go position’ during our show, but I stayed away.”

Cody Rhodes is set to wrestle against his former-best friend Maxwell Jacob Friedman. The two will face off at AEW Revolution on February 29th.

WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Bully Ray had some comments regarding Cody Rhodes’ Moonsault from this Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

Rhodes was taking on Wardlow in a Steel Cage match when he hit a Moonsault from the top of the structure to a standing Wardlow to get the pinfall. The move looked spectacular, and whilst Bully agrees that the moment was ‘epic’ he felt that a moment of such magnitude should’ve been saved for the climax of Cody’s feud against MJF. Following the broadcast of Dynamite, Cody would speak to the crowd about the history of the Rhodes’ family in Atlanta. Cody was extremely emotional and this added to Bully’s thoughts that Rhodes decided to ‘create the moment’ more for himself than the story at large.

“Selfish is good in wrestling” – Bully Ray

“Doing that moonsault last night was selfish, I’m bet on balls right” Bully Ray began on Busted Open. “Because selfish, much like the word politicking in the wrestling business has a negative connotation. But it doesn’t have to. Selfish is good in wrestling, because sometimes you need to be selfish and selfish sometimes is patting yourself on your back and doing something for yourself that you want in your scrapbook for history.”

Bully then discussed the context of the night, with AEW filming in Atlanta, Georgia. “Atlanta, Dusty’s [Rhodes] town, now Cody’s town.” Ray also described how he felt Cody’s mindset may have been going into the match/spot. “‘I may never get to stand on top of a steel cage in Atlanta for the rest of my career. I don’t know what’s going to go down. So if this is my one and only chance to stand on top of that cage in a town with so much wrestling history; in a town that my family’s name is synonymous with? I’m doing it for myself.”

Ray would also compare the moment to his appearance at the Royal Rumble in Madison Square Garden. “In 2000? That’s exactly what I did in Madison Square Garden, when I stood on top of Madison Square Garden. I did that for myself because I wanted that memory to live forever. So if I never got a chance to do that again. I did it. So, if it comes to Cody selfishness, I’d be the first one to say, Good job, man.”

You can listen to the Busted Open Podcast here or via SiriusXM 6 days a week.

Do you think that Cody was being ‘selfish’ when he created that moment on AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments

All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has revealed which current AEW talent he considers to be the most underrated on the roster. During a recent medial call, Cody pointed to one half of the Hybrid 2 tag team Jack Evans.

“Underrated is a dirty word to me because sometimes it means under pushed or undervalued. But taking the word at face value, I think the most underrated guy in AEW is Jack Evans,” Cody revealed.

He continued, “He walks around backstage super-casual and I don’t think people have any idea what he’s capable of in the ring. He’s just special. He’s someone who I always say that I’d really like to get a singles with Jack. I don’t know if he knows how much we value him, but Jack Evans is underrated.”

Hybrid 2 On AEW Dynamite

Jack Evans and his Hybrid 2 partner Angelico both participated in this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT. They wrestled alongside several other teams, opening the show with a Tag Team Battle Royal. The winners of the match received an AEW Tag Team Championship opportunity at the promotion’s upcoming pay-per-view, Revolution.

Matt Jackson was eventually able to secure the victory for himself and his brother, setting an Elite showdown for the belts between The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega and Hangman Page.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Arn Anderson was interviewed backstage following the conclusion of Dynamite last night. Anderson is the official manager of the Nightmare Family and is now accompanying Cody to the ring for his matches.

AEW posted the following “Coach’s Corner” video with Anderson:

Arn Anderson On Steel Cage Match Between Cody Rhodes And Wardlow

“Well, I got to tell you and I didn’t want to say this to him, I’ve been proud of Cody all along. Tonight, I’m really proud of him. He crawled into that ring with a monster, he was in for the fight of his life. Wardlow is untested, he didn’t know anything about him. You lock a man in a cage, he’s going to get violent a lot of times and he’s going to overachieve.”

“Cody Rhodes stepped up to the plate, he didn’t get a single, double, or a home run, he had a grand slam. Nothing but proud of him, can’t believe what an excellent job he did overcoming all that adversity. Man, I just feel good tonight.”

Anderson also commented on Cody’s post-match comments.

• Cody Rhodes Addresses Live Crowd After Dynamite (Video)

“Well, if you were Mickey Mantle’s kid and showed up at a Little League ballpark there would be some expectations, I would think,” Anderson said. “Cody has always had people that were hard on him, people that were judging him, people were thinking that he’ll never be his Dad. Cody Rhodes is his own man and tonight he showed he’s a leader, he’s a battler, he’s a fighter, he’s a man that when he tells you something, you can believe it.”

Cody Rhodes defeated Wardlow in the main event of AEW Dynamite last night. The show emanated from Cody’s hometown of Atlanta, GA from the State Farm Arena. Cody climbed the cage and delivered a moonsault from the top onto his opponent for the win. After the match, Cody addressed the live crowd.

AEW posted the following video of Cody’s post-match comments:

“We’re off the air?” Cody asked before beginning his speech. “That was the best episode of Dynamite yet.”

Cody then asked the live crowd to keep up their energy for the matches taped for Dark. He also asked the live crowd to cheer for the camera operators and the behind-the-scenes crew.

Cody Thanks Atlanta For Cheering His Father

“I want to tell you the shortest story and then we’ll get Dark started,” Cody continued. “It’s about 200 yards away, it’s a street called Baker street and it’s the exact spot I fell in love with wrestling. And I’m going to tell you why. I came to a show, I couldn’t have been eight years old, I knew that my Dad was famous but I didn’t know why, I didn’t grow up in his prime, I didn’t get to see a lot of the classics.”

“I didn’t get to see you break his leg,” Cody said to Arn Anderson.

“And I came to the show and at the end of the night on Baker street is where the fans will gather right by where the boys and girls go out and Sting, Sting went out and you guys gave him such a great reception and I didn’t think anything and I went to step out myself to go to my Dad’s truck and he put his hand across my chest and he said ‘never steal another man’s pop’ and I didn’t know what he meant and when he walked out in that parking lot all of you cheered so loud for my Dad.”

The crowd began to chant for Dusty.

“I didn’t know I wanted to be a wrestler but I knew I wanted to be famous like he is and when I got into wrestling at 15, when I debuted in 2007, you guys were pretty hard on me and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate being hard on me. It made me come back week after week.”

With the win last night, Cody is now officially scheduled to face Maxwell Jacob Friedman at Revolution.