AEW Co-Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes made some very interesting comments while doing an interview with 11Alive to promote Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite in Atlanta.
Cody was asked where he sees AEW in five years. This is where he talked about having an interest in moving the show to a different night. In fact, he would like to compete against a different WWE brand.
Cody Rhodes Has Confidence In AEW
“I would like the company, in five years, to be on a different night and competing in the same fashion they are.”
Rhodes continued by stating that it’s not that he doesn’t love Wednesday nights, but he understands by looking at the data that they have, AEW has real players. He noted they’re not lying about the revolution anymore because it’s very supported.
“I would love to see how it does on another night of the week. In five years, who knows. If we had a random storm situation or something popped up and we had to put Dynamite on a Monday night, if that was to happen in this current threshold, I’d still be very confident in what we can do. And I’d be confident that our guys would be up for the challenge.”
This comes after it was announced AEW and TNT reached an extension for the weekly program, Dynamite, to continue to air on the network through 2023. It’s also been confirmed that a second AEW program will be added to the Turner Media family in the near future.
It should be noted that there are no further details on this second show – name, premiere date, and length.
When the news was announced that AEW had reached an agreement with TNT for a prime time TV show, WWE decided to counter-program them with NXT by moving it to the USA Network. Since October, AEW has won the majority of the ratings war up to this point.
Cody Rhodes recently took part in a media call to promote tomorrow night’s episode of Dynamite from Atlanta. Rhodes noted during the call that this week’s Dynamite is from his hometown and the show will carry a special significance for him. Cody is scheduled to face Wardlow in the first-ever AEW steel cage match on the card.
During the interview, Cody was asked about the trademarking of WCW Pay-Per-View names and if we will see any more of those in the future. Cody noted that we likely won’t see many more WCW Pay-Per-View names used though he made a point of noting there is one former WCW PPV that we might see return, though he would not say which one.
“I’d actually say it’s unlikely you see many more of those, maybe one *wink wink wink,*” Cody said during the call.
“That’s more about protecting (Dusty’s) legacy for my mother,” Cody continued to say about the WCW PPV trademarks.
Cody also addressed Jeff Cobb’s status while on the call. Cobb made a surprise appearance on last week’s episode of Dynamite and is scheduled to face Jon Moxley on this week’s. Cody would not go into too much detail regarding Jeff Cobb, noting that he is signed for more shows but that he hopes Cobb will sign a longer deal in the future.
Cody named Jack Evans as an underrated guy in AEW. He noted that several other names came to his mind as being underrated as well. Cody also said that he and Taz will be scouting some NCAA wrestling events for talent.
The interview with Cody can be heard in the player below:
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has released a new video with Arn Anderson where he shed some light on the rules for the upcoming steel cage match involving Cody Rhodes.
Of course, Rhodes will battle Wardlow on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite in Atlanta, GA at the State Farm Arena on TNT. If Rhodes wins this match then he’ll secure a match against MJF. This will take place at AEW’s next pay-per-view event, Revolution.
This has been building for months after MJF cost Rhodes the AEW World Title at the Full Gear pay-per-view event in November.
There Will Be No Escape For Cody Rhodes
In Coach’s Corner with the legendary pro wrestler, Anderson revealed that the match can only be won by pinfall or submission. There is no escape.
Some fans will praise AEW for this booking decision as it appears that MJF will not be able to cost Rhodes from escaping through the door or over the top of the cage in order to win the contest.
AEW holds the Revolution pay-per-view event on Saturday, February 29, 2020 in Chicago, IL from the Sears Center. AEW World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley is expected to headline the show.
All Elite Wrestling’s Dustin Rhodes has reflected on the recent AEW segment featuring his younger brother. Cody recently featured in a whipping segment, where he received ten lashes from Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). Speaking with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, Dustin recalled how emotional the process was.
In the build-up to the lashings, AEW ran a few promos featuring people speaking about what Cody was heading towards. One of the people interviewed was Dustin. He stressed how they were intended to help to get “people invested” in the feud and lashings—something he believes they achieved.
Dustin Rhodes’ Reaction
“Cody sold it so well and his acting was so good and the way he was taking them and Arn comes out, his big brother comes out and we are all rallying behind him and I wanted to take the lashes for him,” Dustin said. “I think the only thing that might have been a little bit better is if MJF told me to give him the last five lashes, but this was after I was thinking of all these different scenarios.”
“[…] They were invested and they were standing, and you get some audience shots of them saying “Oh my God” and people are just really upset about it. It is uncomfortable. Whippings are always uncomfortable.”
Dustin admitted that it was “really cool” being out there for that moment. He praised Cody for doing a tremendous job. As far as he is concerned, Cody has really come into his own and is taking the world by storm.
Dustin Rhodes challenged Jake Hager to a matchup on this week’s episode of AEW: Dynamite. The two will face off at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Revolution, on February 29th.
Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Wrestling Observer Radio and talked about being in a management role with AEW. During the conversation, he spoke about what metrics the companies use to evaluate how popular some of their stars are.
“Numbers have been on our side and I’m not a big numbers guy, I’m a feeling guy,” Cody said.
One metric that is particularly valuable in helping to evaluate the popularity of a wrestler Cody says, is merchandising.
“Merchandising never steers you wrong,” Cody said about using merchandise sales numbers to determine how popular a wrestler is. “Our top stars at AEW also sell the most shirts.”
Cody was asked about AEW wrestlers who are doing particularly well in this regard.
“Orange is always a safe bet but I’ll also point out Joey Janela, only because Joey’s the type of wrestler that I don’t always understand,” said Cody. “I’m a different type of wrestler, I like old-school Southern wrestling.”
“It’s actually cool to see that he moves the needle in a direction and it’s cool to understand why,” he continued to say about Janela.
Luchasaurus was another wrestler mentioned as someone who does well in this metric. Darby Allin was heavily praised during the conversation as well.
“Everyone who you see represented on the show, they’re doing really well numbers-wise, there’s nobody who’s not,” Cody said. He would continue to say that nobody really knows why Orange Cassidy does so well but he does.
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Sirius XM’s Busted Open Radio show. During his interview with Dave LeGreca and WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry the discussion of AEW finally heading to the Tri-State area came up. All Elite will be taking their weekly Dynamite show to Newark, New Jersey on March 25th at the Prudential Center.
Tri-State Is ‘WWE’ Country
Although professional wrestling is no longer ‘territory’ based, it has been fairly common knowledge that the North East of the United States has been WWE country for quite some time. This relates as far back as the days of the WWWF with Bruno Sammartino, with WWE now having their headquarters based in Connecticut. Having been a part of the wrestling industry for most of his life Cody Rhodes is more than aware of this. and he discussed the difficulties of ‘loyalty’ for the buildings in that geographic area.
“I didn’t even go to that site survey” – Cody Rhodes
“I’m looking forward to the Prudential Center” Cody Rhodes began. “It’s a wonderful building. I was involved in some of the WWE events that were there. I was involved with Hell In a Cell there. Actually that was my only pay-per-view main event ever with WWE. But the building itself? I didn’t even go to that site survey” Cody revealed.
“I know that building well enough. I’m beyond excited to be in the New Jersey and the New York area.”
Cody Rhodes then talked about the ‘loyalties’ of staff in the buildings; “It’s not easy. As you guys know, in some of those buildings they’ve got long standing history [with WWE], there’s a lot of loyalty elements. There’s a lot of young men and women that want it in the offices. And a lot of old men and women who are you know; trepidatious about this wild disruptive wrestling company coming in. They [the younger generation] were the ones who said ‘no this is great. We’ve seen what they’re doing in these other venues. They’re filling them up and we want them.’ That first show is going to be…It’s going to be gangbusters.”
“…slowly chipping away on the area”
Cody Rhodes also revealed that this will not be the only event in the Tri-State area for the company; at least that is the current plan. “I’m really, really looking forward to that Tri-State debut. And…slowly chipping away on the area. But that Prudential building has a soft spot in my heart for being the ones to say ‘hey, doors are open.’
Tickets for the Prudential Center show go on sale January 24th, further information can be found via the tweet below:
Cody Rhodes will finally get his hands on Maxwell J. Friedman at AEW’s next pay-per-view-event, Revolution. That show takes place Saturday, February 29th from Chicago, IL.
In order to secure that match, Cody first had to accept terms set forth by MJF. He accepted those terms on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, as seen in the video embedded at the bottom of this article.
One of those terms is that Cody must battle Wardlow inside a steel cage. Cody said he knew just the place for the match to take place. AEW has since confirmed that the Cody vs. Wardlow steel cage match will take place at the February 19th edition of AEW Dynamite from Atlanta, GA.
This will be Wardlow’s AEW in-ring debut and the first cage match in AEW history.
If you’re in the Atlanta area, visit AEWTix.com for ticket information or AEW Dynamite at the State Farm Arena.
All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has reiterated the company’s interest in performing in Canada. The AEW Executive Vice President and in-ring talent addressed their intentions during an interview with TSN. He claimed that “there are definitely plans for 2020 in Canada.”
“I have the best respect for the Canadian wrestling fans and they’ve always been incredibly good to me,” said Rhodes. “There’s no way you can start a global wrestling company without making plans to go to Canada and making Canada a part of your fabric.”
He continued, “For people watching on TSN, just stay tuned and that will come to fruition. There are definitely plans for 2020 in Canada because it’s a great audience and everyone likes to wrestle in Canada. I look forward to it.”
Cody Rhodes On The Fan Experience
Rhodes also opened up about how the most important thing to AEW is the fan experience. He stated how there is “no single way to do wrestling” and that the only real indicator is the live audience reaction. For him, “There’s nothing more important than getting over with the fans. […] Fan experience is the only indicator on if you’re doing it right.”
Cody Rhodes competed this week on AEW: Dynamite on TNT. He teamed up with his brother Dustin Rhodes in a matchup against the Lucha Bros, Rey Fenix and Pentagon Jr. He is currently feuding with his former best friend, MJF, who has laid out several stipulations he must agree to earn a match.
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes has addressed the potential working relationship between AEW (All Elite Wrestling) and NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling).
He did so when he recently spoke with The New York Post to promote this week’s AEW Dynamite Anniversary Show.
The working relationship between the two sides has been discussed since the launch of AEW last January. Although Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho are working for NJPW, they have separate contracts with NJPW aside from their deals with AEW.
Cody Rhodes Addresses Partnership
Rhodes started out after being asked about Jericho making it known that he thinks there should be a working relationship. Rhodes thinks it was strange that fans are asking for the partnership because he doesn’t know what a partnership would look like other than what you saw already.
He brought up Jericho and Moxley working Wrestle Kingdom 14 this past weekend.
“They both were successful. What did he call it? The forbidden door?” The forbidden door. It may be forbidden, but clearly the door is opening and closing and opening and closing. It’s public knowledge that some guys here, myself included, have exemptions to work New Japan Pro-Wrestling. But I know that New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s focus is New Japan and AEW’s focus is AEW.”
Rhodes continued by noting that it’s a partnership if made would see them share talent and creative but wouldn’t go down the path of an event like Super Clash III where Kerry Von Erich and Jerry Lawler were fighting over the title in 1988.
The reason for that belief is due to him being hesitant to combine banners versus just respecting each other’s banners.
“But I like how it’s referred to as the forbidden door. I don’t really think it’s forbidden at all.”
Rhodes stated that many people have the exemption to work there and praised NJPW for putting on a great Wrestle Kingdom as he thinks NJPW has amazing talent, particularly Will Ospreay.
Possible Timeline
“So, we’ll see where that goes. I know everyone pretty much feels the same about it. I think it’s something in the next year that we will hopefully all explore. We’ll explore on our end, they’ll explore on their end and we’ll see if it works.”
All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho have both made efforts to help the firefighting effort in Australia as bushfires rage through the country.
Cody took to Twitter to share a new t-shirt that sports a retro design of his name. He wrote how it was an unused concept, but wanted to put it online to help the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. 100 percent of profits will go towards helping Australian fire services.
“I had an unused retro shirt design, I’ve decided to put it online! [100 emoji] % of the profits go to THE NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE to help provide support to those affected by the catastrophic fires spreading across Australia.”
If you are interested in purchasing a t-shirt, you can do so at ProWrestlingTees.
I had an unused retro shirt design, I’ve decided to put it online!
?% of the profits go to THE NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE to help provide support to those affected by the catastrophic fires spreading across Australia. ?? ?? https://t.co/vJblwkh5jKpic.twitter.com/Vjxbvgu975
“Le Champion” had a similar idea in helping out. After speaking with New Japan Pro-Wrestling English commentator, Gino Gambino, and Robbie Eagles, Jericho donated the ring worn shirt he wore at Wrestle Kingdom 14. Gamino uploaded a photo of Jericho holding up the shirt. He highlighted how “ALL of the money will be donated.”
At the time of writing, the eBay bid is currently at $5,100 Australian dollars.
“Today @IAmJericho spoke to myself and @RobbieEagles_ about the devastating fires . Chris really wanted to help out all his fans in #Australia affected by these events, and has dontanted his WK14 ring worn T-shirt. ALL of the money will be donated”
If you are interested in bidding on the t-shirt, you can do so here.
Chris Jericho recently competed against NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi. He managed to defeat “The Ace” during Night Two of Wrestle Kingdom 14. Despite the AEW World Champion competing against one of New Japan’s top talents, the relationship between the two companies is reportedly “worse than previously thought.”
AEW Executive Vice Presient Cody Rhodes recently spoke to SPORT1 in Germany. Rhodes took the time to discuss some of the young talent on AEW programming as well as the influence of veteran performer and AEW Champion Chris Jericho.
“I didn’t know who Kris Statlander was a month ago” – Cody Rhodes
“There are people who are definitely ahead of the curve considering they have never been on TV: Darby Allin, for example, or Kris Statlander,” Rhodes stated. “I didn’t know who Kris Statlander was a month ago. Now, I can’t imagine AEW without her. She’s an incredibly special talent and we want to cultivate that. I’ve been really impressed with so much of our roster with how they’ve taken doing live television.”
“They say in wrestling, ‘What’s old is new’.”
Cody Rhodes also talked about how the days of ‘territory’ wrestling and an old-school mentality come into play with AEW. “They say in wrestling, ‘What’s old is new’. There is so much of the territory wrestling, and even pre-Crockett, pre-television wrestling, that have so many great stories and elements to bring to the squared circle and tell a story within the ropes,” Cody said. “To be able to do that on worldwide television is huge. But we also have to do our best not to be a parody of what’s old. Not to be nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake.”
Cody elaborated further, saying “you have to give people the buffet: some old, some new. We are melding those worlds. I like Memphis Wrestling, southern wrestling. I revel in that old school, but not lazy old school – the diligent, committed old school. If you mash that up with the new school and create something new like Darby Allin does, or MJF, people will let you know how much they love it.”
Cody then praised AEW Champion Chris Jericho, saying “you don’t want to praise Chris because he’s such an asshole, but you have to give him props,” Cody claimed. “Every week, Chris Jericho does something that reminds me of how important he is to the company – every week! He’s a huge part of this.”
WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray recently heaped a huge amount of praise on AEW star Darby Allin. During the latest episode of the Busted Open Radio Podcast the former Dudley Boy claimed that Allin is a star for the future.
“They start off with Cody and Darby and I think that was a really great first match,” Bully began. This whilst discussing the AEW Homecoming event that took place on New Year’s Day. “That kicked that night off really hot and that crowd was super into that show. They were a perfect example of how a hot crowd can help to make or break an event.”
“Twice I saw him at my friend’s house he has on a Darby Allin shirt”
Bully then claimed that Allin is going to be a major player for AEW going forward. “Darby Allin is going to be a major star for AEW. This guy is super over already. I loved his vignette before his entrance.”
Ray also discussed how Allin is appealing to younger fans, even below the mythical 18-34 demographic that AEW is attempting to hook. “It resonates with younger viewers. I have a good friend who has a nine or ten year old son and I’ve seen the kid now probably three different times. Twice I saw him at my friend’s house he has on a Darby Allin shirt. And once I saw him at a local indie show and he was painted up like Darby Allin. So if I’m seeing a ten year old on three different occasions and all three different occasions he’s wearing Darby Allin stuff it’s a pretty good indicator that not only is Darby connecting with the eighteen to thirty four year olds; but it’s clear that is connected with the younger audience.”
“…the sky is the limit for guys like Darby Allin”
Ray finished by saying that the sky is the limit for the young star. “I think between his unique look, his style, and the vignettes that they’ve been doing with him; man the sky is the limit for guys like Darby Allin. I look at Darby and I look at MJF. They’re so young. They’re so talented. When they get true polish on them week after week after week they are going to be unstoppable.”
Bully also went on to say that he believed that Darby Allin was this generation’s Jeff Hardy.
Cody Rhodes spoke on AEW while doing an interview with Yahoo Sports where he gave some interesting comments.
Since the news of AEW getting a television deal with TNT to air their weekly television show, Dynamite, the comparison between AEW and WWE NXT, started.
AEW Dynamite goes head-to-head with NXT on the USA Network on the same night at the same time. Instead of paying attention to what the competition is doing, Rhodes explained why AEW is focused on themselves.
Rhodes talked about how they don’t have any of the template that WWE currently has but rather they’re open to everything and their bridges are open. He talked about how a company ran by wrestlers must cut out a lot of the bureaucracy.
Cody Rhodes On AEW
“We don’t think about it being different, our focus is fun, and something like that was really fun.”
Rhodes was asked about if they’re worried about NXT as they have beaten WWE’s show in the ratings while also suffering defeats.
“There’s a romantic way to look at the ratings and say ‘Here we are, it’s the late 1990s again. Every Thursday let’s check ‘em.’ It’s fun to look at the ratings but I know internally we’re not having any pep rally speeches. Our concern is not NXT and I believe NXT’s concern is not us.”
Cody Rhodes On AEW vs. NXT
Rhodes continued by noting that if anyone is going to succeed then they cannot be a reactionary brand. He does think a positive takeaway that the ratings war doesn’t show is that there is a lot less crossover between the fan bases.
This means fans aren’t going back and forth between the two shows. Thus, it means there’s a lot of people just watching wrestling on Wednesday nights and he thinks making wrestling destination programming again is cool.
AEW has announced Arn Anderson has signed on to be Cody Rhodes’ Personal Advisor and Head Coach for the 2020 season.
“2019 was the most successful year I’ve had in pro-wrestling,” said Cody. “Beyond the superfluous financial, it’s been incredibly rewarding on a spiritual level to be able to engage so many fans with a like-minded place in their hearts for the sport.
“That said, one of my greatest fears came true as I lost the opportunity to wrestle for the World Championship again. But, on the other side of that fear is freedom to chase every other accolade outside of that title. I still want to collect all the accolades I can and dominate the singles division. That’s why I’m bringing in Arn Anderson as my personal advisor and head coach. He has been in business with my family for over three decades. Having been a wrestler throughout so many different generations of talent, he understands what ingredients it takes to look beyond the horizon and produce the best content and results.”
Cody’s nemesis MJF does not sound impressed by the news.
Allow me to translate this misleading trash heap of paragraphs.
He will never be a world champion because I bested him and he has no clue what to do next with his career.
Arn Anderson’s first day on the job will be the January 1st “Homecoming” edition of AEW Dynamite from Jacksonville, FL. On that show, Cody Rhodes will face Darby Allin. This is a rematch from their bout at AEW FyterFest from June 2019.
Watch: Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin from Fyter Fest (Full Match)
Arn Anderson is All Elite
Arn Anderson is a member of the legendary Four Horsemen faction. He holds multiple tag team titles and was a longtime road agent for WWE.
This past August, Anderson made a surprise appearance at ALL OUT when he nailed Cody’s opponent, Shawn Spears, with his signature spinebuster. Cody ultimately defeated Spears, who is coached by Anderson’s Four Horsemen teammate Tully Blanchard.
Anderson hosts the popular Arn podcast along with Conrad Thompson.
Cody Rhodes has been rejected for his attempt to file a trademark that hits close to home for him.
The AEW Executive Vice President recently filed to trademark the name of his late father, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes. However, that filing was turned down for an unexpected reason.
Pro Wrestling Sheet reached out to Cody’s legal team about the trademark filing being rejected. The team noted they are confident that this will not be a problem in the end.
Back in November, the trademark appeared to be done and Cody had ownership rights. That changed when the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) issued a refusal last week.
The reason for that is due to the name being too similar to Dustin Rhodes, a trademark already owned by Dustin. The filing states the following:
“Here, the marks share one term, “RHODES”, and a highly similar term ‘DUSTY/DUSTIN’, and share the same overall commercial impression of that of a surname and given name, respectively. Given the high similarity in appearance, sound, and meaning of the marks, the marks are confusingly similar.”
It also notes that both filings relating to the use description of “entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer” could be the case of confusion.
Next Step For Cody Rhodes Attempt
Per the report, the team told the media outlet that they are in talks to take next in order to acquire the trademark and are sure they will still be able to secure the trademark.
Cody has two options right now with the trademark, which is to file an appeal or get approval from the owner of the registration that is causing the trademark to be rejected.
Dustin Rhodes recently took to Twitter to express his desire for a Rhodes brothers vs Von Erich brothers match to take place. The Von Erichs are the current MLW Tag Team Championships and Dustin and his brother Cody are scheduled to team up next on the January 8th edition of Dynamite against the Lucha Bros.
Dustin posted the following to Twitter in regard to a possible match between the two famed families.
MLW’s Court Bauer responded to Rhodes’ comments noting that the Von Erichs and MLW will be in Texas on January 11th, 2020 for Zero Hour. AEW recently ran events in Garland and Corpus Christie, Texas as well.
This is the first time Bauer has publicly acknowledged anything regarding an MLW and AEW relationship. Dustin liked the Tweet posted by Bauer as well.
Several wrestlers work for both AEW and MLW such as Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Jimmy Havoc. This is the first time either side has acknowledged doing business on this level, however.
Dusty Rhodes actually wrestled on the 3rd ever MLW event in 2002. Steve Corino defeated both Rhodes and Terry Funk in a triple threat match that night.
MLW Zero Hour
The following matches are booked for MLW’s return to Dallas, Texas on January 11th, 2020.
Barbed Wire Match Mance Warner vs Jimmy Havoc
Ross Von Erich vs Tom Lawlor
Marshall Von Erich vs Maxwell Jacob Friedman
National Openweight Championship Alex Hammerstone vs Aerostar
Cody Rhodes recently spoke to Sport1 in Germany. During the conversation, Cody discussed AEW’s approach of combining old school and new school wrestling.
“They say in wrestling: What’s old is new. There is so much of the territory wrestling and even pre-Crockett, pre-television wrestling, that has so many great stories and element to bring to the squared circle and tell a story within the ropes. To be able to do that on worldwide television is huge,” Cody said during the interview.
“But we also have to do our best not to be a parody of what’s old. Not to be nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake,” he continued. “You have to give people the buffet: some old, some new. We are melting those worlds. I like Memphis Wrestling, southern wrestling, I revel in that old school, but not lazy old school – the diligent, committed old school. If you mash that up with the new school and create something new, like Darby Allin does or MJF: People will let you know how much they love it.”
Cody On Roman Reigns Saying It Is Generous To Call AEW Competition
Cody was also asked to comment on recent remarks by Roman Reigns on AEW. Reigns said to the same outlet earlier this year that it was generous to call AEW competition.
“WWE’s on a 49-year head start and I tip my hat for that,” Cody said. “But what we’re doing is to build upon what fans have been talking about for 20 years, what they want from a wrestling product and what perhaps wasn’t delivered to them. We want to be the alternative. If that means stepping into competition, so be it. It’s better to have competition, for me, for Roman, for everybody.”
Cody also talks about Bret Hart’s popularity in Germany, new stars in AEW, and more. The full interview can be read here.
Cody Rhodes is both an active performer in AEW and a company Executive Vice President. During a recent interview with Talk Sport, Cody discussed managing those two roles, as well as AEW’s creative process.
“I think that’s one of the beautiful things about being a pro wrestler who’s running a wrestling company is, we know the struggle, the journey,” Cody said. “It’s like OK, when do I literally throw my tights on and lace or zip my boots up? When do I smell blood in the water and start circulating as a performer and a competitor?”
Cody’s father, Dusty Rhodes, also spent years working as both an active performer and as a booker.
“I’ve been lucky to know what to do in that regard because I knew what my father did,” Cody continued. “But also, I got to see what people in WWE did who were on both sides of the coin, too.”
Cody Rhodes on AEW’s Creative Process
Tony Khan has the final say on AEW booking decisions. Cody also discussed what it’s been like working with him so far and AEW’s approach to long-term booking.
“Tony is the final verdict on everything. He doesn’t have to be though, because so much of what we’re doing we’ve planned eight months to a year out. A lot of it, we can just execute what we’ve got planned. He has the final say, he’s the owner. He’s the founder, it’s his money. But one of the most just amazing things about Tony is that he is a deeply, deeply connected fan.”
The full interview with Cody Rhodes from Talk Sport can be read here.
The beginning of Wednesday Night Wars has been one of the
most significant events of 2019 and it has signalled the start of some of the
most exciting times in pro wrestling business in the last few years.
During a recent interview with Talk Sport, Cody Rhodes talked about this in detail and gave his thoughts on things like Luke Harper’s WWE release, Marty Scurll’s future and more.
When asked about NXT and if they pay attention to what their competition is doing, the AEW official said that they are aware of the happenings of the show but they make sure they don’t have it on their monitors in the gorilla position at Dynamite:
“We’re aware [of what NXT do] more because we have
friends in both locker rooms. We diligently make sure that we don’t have it on
the monitor in go-position because, again, we’ve got to be more aware of the
audience that’s watching on TNT. “
Cody Rhodes went on to mention how his dad Dusty Rhodes
helped NXT in becoming its own brand and said that he has nothing but respect
for what they are doing.
Cody Rhodes On The Ratings War Between Dynamite And NXT
One of the most talked-about aspects of this war is the TV ratings. Fans have actively been keeping an eye on the viewership numbers and comparing them with each other ever since both the shows premiered on TV.
Sharing his thoughts on the matter, the AEW Vice President said that the ratings almost matter more to the respective brands individually and it’s more of the fans who put them in contrast to each other:
“Obviously the ratings… they almost matter more to the
respective brands individually. Warner Media and TNT, they’re looking at the
ratings and the demographic, that P1 demo and how you’re doing there and then
I’m assuming USA are doing the same for NXT, it’s more of the fans that put
them in contrast to each other. “
Cody Rhodes continued by explaining how looking at the data
reveals that there is not nearly as much cross over between the shows as you
would think and both the shows have dedicated fan base.
Apart from this, Cody also talked about AEW coming to UK in 2020, the Money In The Bank match he was a part of in 2013 and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.
AEW fans from the United Kingdom will be happy to learn that company Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes says they will for sure be bringing live events to the UK in 2020. Rhodes recently spoke to Talk Sport in the UK about AEW’s plans to run events there.
“100 percent, you can hold us to it,” Cody said about bringing AEW to the UK next year. “We are coming to the UK in 2020 and we’ve got some tentative dates circled, but it’s a matter of where you’re going to hit as well. Are you going to hit as many markets as you can possibly hit or are you just going to do London and Manchester, what’s it going to be? But, for sure, in 2020 we’ll be live over there with AEW.”
AEW Royal Flush?
During the conversation, Cody even mentioned that the name “Royal Flush” has been talked about as a possible name for a UK-based event.
“So, Royal Flush was a real thing and we all actually thought it was a really good name until we said it multiple times and we realised it was a terrible name. Tony [Khan] was one of the first to spot that.”
Earlier this year, AEW announced a UK TV deal with ITV.
Cody continued to talk about AEW’s representation in the UK with its FITE and ITV deals.
“But, with the UK and our representation with ITV and FITE, and the fact that the fanbase is really thriving and hungry. I mean, the UK independent scene got hot before the American independent scene and so many of us imports were going over there to do shows like I did with What Culture Pro Wrestling.
He also continued to say if AEW does not come to the UK in 2020, he would pay the writer from Talk Sport $500.
“I can’t be sure if we’re coming for Dynamite, a pay-per-view or a rare live event tour, but everyone is on-board with us coming in 2020 and if I’m incorrect with that statement, I will give you $500.”
2019 has been an incredible year for both Cody Rhodes and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The company announced this week it sold over 100,000 live event tickets. This is a huge milestone for a company that had its first show in late May.
During a recent interview with TV Insider, the Rhodes opened up about the company’s performance and his goals for the year ahead.
When asked what goals they have for the promotion heading into year two, the former WWE star claimed that they will be expanding upon their mission statement of becoming an alternative to WWE.
Cody Rhodes on AEW’s Mission for 2020
“Looking at 2020, we have to expand upon the missions
statement. That’s always my goal when I’m out there. The mission statement that
we have to be the alternative.
We can get in the weeds on counter-programming on Wednesday
nights and talk about ratings and use the word war and all that stuff, but we
have to stick to our mission statement of being an alternative. Be
sports-centric.”
One of the ways AEW has used to differentiate themselves from WWE is the inclusion of many different styles of wrestling in their programming, in an attempt to give everyone something to watch.
However this approach has also led to some criticism from fans and addressing this response, the AEW official said that they just want to make sure they key in their mission statement:
“That’s something people have been critical of here and
there. The show is a buffet and sometimes the foods are vastly different. That
can be a little offensive, but I just want to make sure we key in on our
mission statement. And we key in on our outreach to fans.”
Apart from this, Cody Rhodes also talked about his ongoing rivalry with MJF and revealed that the young star has been removed from the media list by Brandi Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes thinks former WWE Superstar Luke Harper would be a great fit in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
The AEW Executive VP recently spoke with Talk Sport. Alex McCarthy released a teaser quote of his chat with Cody, who feels Luke Harper is a “vey special” talent.
Cody Rhodes on Luke Harper
“He would be great as part of AEW. He’s a name that when you hear they’ve asked for their release, you definitely think about that and the next steps, for sure. I think he’s going to flourish with what he does next, he’s very special.”
AEW executives have been open about their efforts to avoid the stumbles of other promotions. For example, TNA Wrestling became notorious for signing any former WWE Superstar that became available.
AEW does have several former WWE Superstars on its roster. Cody Rhodes is one of them. However, men like Cody, Jon Moxley and even Chris Jericho are doing the best work of their careers.
Luke Harper requested his release from WWE back in April. He remained under contract until December, when WWE finally granted the request. It is believed that Harper has a 90-day no-compete clause with WWE. This would prevent him from appearing on AEW television until late March 2020.
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes has commented on Marty Scurll’s future.
Rhodes recently spoke with Alex McCarthy for the Talk Sport website. When asked about the future of free agent Marty Scurll, Rhodes was coy with his response.
“Marty is going to do what Marty is going to do,” he said. “We all love Marty. Anything he does in the next few weeks or months, I wouldn’t look at as permanent for him. He’s very much testing the waters here and there and that’s pretty much all I can say on Marty.”
Marty Scurll’s Future
Marty Scurll’s future is currently up in the air. He is wrapping up with Ring of Honor and made a surprise appearance at last weekend’s NWA Into the Fire pay-per-view. Scurll had a staredown with NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis at the end of the show, setting up a possible match between the two.
Scurll’s contract with Ring of Honor recently expired, but he wrestled at their Final Battle PPV event. He also worked the ROH TV tapings on Sunday.
Many fans expect Marty Scurll to wind up in All Elite Wrestling after a short run with the NWA.
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Sirius XM’s Busted Open Radio show. The former WWE Superstar spoke to Dave LaGreca and co-host Tommy Dreamer about AEW, WWE and the fanbases arguing online.
AEW and WWE Fan Divide
Dreamer asked Rhodes about the divide between WWE/NXT and AEW fans. Cody replied saying “I think about this a lot. Because social media’s become an accepted part of our lives now. I keep telling people I can’t remember when we didn’t have the stuff, I mean it’s not going away.”
Cody Rhodes – “A Little Fear from WWE Fans?”
Cody continued, talking about the longtime WWE fans who remain vehemently against AEW, almost on principle. “I’ve tried to kind of learn from it and study it, there’s a logic to both sides of this big deep divided argument. Whether there’s a little bit of fear from long time WWE fans or whether there’s kind of a dislike of the bold personalities because we’ve done some really bold things. Like the breaking the throne [at Double or Nothing] and we are taking little fun jabs. Like Jericho does in this promos here and there.”
When Chris Jericho unveiled his ‘Inner Circle’ stable he took a shot at WWE creative after fans chanted ‘we the people’ at Jake Hager (formerly Jack Swagger in WWE).
Cody Rhodes – “Fans ‘Too Protective’ of AEW”
Rhodes was quick to mention the fact that there are AEW fans who are almost too ‘protective’ of the new brand. “On the other side of it there’s AEW super fans who are kind of overly protective and sometimes are being too generous to us. Because obviously we’re gonna slip up and make mistakes. If you’re ever to put all those people in a room together with their NXT shirts and their AEW shirts I’m sure they would get along just fine because they’re wrestling fans.”
More Than Just Wrestling
Cody was also quick to mention that this argument goes deeper than just wrestling. “If you look at the geopolitical climate, which I’ve followed very closely yeah if you look at everything that’s happening out in the world, our fan base really does need to make better efforts I think to suggest to get along.”
Cody Rhodes on Triple H
Triple H and Cody Rhodes
Rhodes also discussed how this mentality should be coming ‘from the top’ of AEW as well. “If I were to see Triple H in this moment I would I would shake his hand. I probably even give him a hug out of everything that happened and I learned a lot from him. But he’s on the absolute opposite side of the fence in the same role I have with a with AEW but much more experience.”
Cody Rhodes recently had an interview with DallasNews.com where he talked about things like why AEW is not holding Live Events. He also explained his decision to move away from the AEW World Title picture and revealed the reason behind it.
Rhodes first discussed his brother Dustin Rhodes joining him in AEW and mentioned how Dustin has dived right into the coach side of things since joining the promotion.
Talking about his decision to move away from the World title
picture, Cody claimed that it was solely his decision and he chose to do so
because he didn’t want to face the same criticism as his father:
“It was solely my decision. Tony was not a fan of it, but he understood why I wanted to do it. And I heard both sides of the argument. I don’t want to face any of the criticisms or any of the asterisks that my dad [Dusty Rhodes] faced because they weren’t fair to his legacy.”
Explaining his reasoning behind the move, the American Nightmare said that his father received criticism for being the top star during his time in the Jim Crockett Promotions while also being a booker and he wanted to take a different path:
“When he was with [Jim Crockett Promotions], he made
everybody at Crockett rich. Him and Ric Flair were the top stars. When you’re
the top stars, they’re what the people wanted to see. But they all received
that criticism later on, the political aspect of it. I figured I would just
take a different path.”
Cody Rhodes challenged Chris Jericho for the AEW World
Championship at the Full Gear PPV and he had announced that he won’t challenge for
the title again if he lost the bout.
During the PPV, MJF throwed the towel on behalf of Cody to end the match. However, he then proceeded to attack Rhodes, effectively ending his alliance with the former ROH Champion.
