All Elite Wrestling

[wildturkey]

That was a highly entertaining episode top to bottom. Keith Lee debuts. Jay White shows up. One hell of an entertaining brawl with Page and Archer. Good stuff all around.

And did yall catch the wink and nudge with Matt Hardy? Hardy jumped the guardrail and left thru the crowd and the announcers said it was "pretty erratic behavior". Which is how it was described when Jeff jumped the guardrail and left during that house show awhile back

 

[Judge Fudge]

That was a highly entertaining episode top to bottom. Keith Lee debuts. Jay White shows up. One hell of an entertaining brawl with Page and Archer. Good stuff all around.

And did yall catch the wink and nudge with Matt Hardy? Hardy jumped the guardrail and left thru the crowd and the announcers said it was "pretty erratic behavior". Which is how it was described when Jeff jumped the guardrail and left during that house show awhile back

That Tag Match was Fire

 

[ill]

Lee is looking a little heavy....and slow...

but still good to see him back in the ring...match felt a little sloppy though.

Punk and Mox...man that's a fun team

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Not a bad episode but have seen better as well. The Wardlow turn when it officially happens is going to get a huge ovation.
Really wish Jay White had gotten to be involved with something else instead of the Best Friends group. If they all disappeared and stayed on the Dark shows, I wouldn’t be upset at all.
Looks like Santana and Ortiz are going to be the faces. Although I do wonder if Hager will turn on Jericho since he was the only one that didn’t say anything.
My early guess is Andrade beats Sammy for the title and will give Darby a match only if he agrees to go to him if he ends up losing the match.

Lee is looking a little heavy....and slow...

but still good to see him back in the ring...match felt a little sloppy though.

Punk and Mox...man that's a fun team

Agree about Lee. He looked a bit rusty out there but at least he looked dominant for the most part. I thought that the tag match was okay but looked a bit sloppy at times. Would like to see FTR get some more wins at some point though.

That was a highly entertaining episode top to bottom. Keith Lee debuts. Jay White shows up. One hell of an entertaining brawl with Page and Archer. Good stuff all around.

And did yall catch the wink and nudge with Matt Hardy? Hardy jumped the guardrail and left thru the crowd and the announcers said it was "pretty erratic behavior". Which is how it was described when Jeff jumped the guardrail and left during that house show awhile back

Definitely caught that. Figure he’ll lose his shit, turn face and when Jeff’s no compete clause is up, have one last run as the Hardy’s.

 

[Judge Fudge]

Not a bad episode but have seen better as well. The Wardlow turn when it officially happens is going to get a huge ovation.
Really wish Jay White had gotten to be involved with something else instead of the Best Friends group. If they all disappeared and stayed on the Dark shows, I wouldn’t be upset at all.
Looks like Santana and Ortiz are going to be the faces. Although I do wonder if Hager will turn on Jericho since he was the only one that didn’t say anything.
My early guess is Andrade beats Sammy for the title and will give Darby a match only if he agrees to go to him if he ends up losing the match.

Agree about Lee. He looked a bit rusty out there but at least he looked dominant for the most part. I thought that the tag match was okay but looked a bit sloppy at times. Would like to see FTR get some more wins at some point though.

Definitely caught that. Figure he’ll lose his shit, turn face and when Jeff’s no compete clause is up, have one last run as the Hardy’s.

I really didn't like that Segment. I thought that at the end Santana went into booking himself.

He was talking inaudible to the Camera and making Faces towards it.

I understand what they were trying to do but Santana ruined it for me............

 

[UVA_Guy81]

I really didn't like that Segment. I thought that at the end Santana went into booking himself.

He was talking inaudible to the Camera and making Faces towards it.

I understand what they were trying to do but Santana ruined it for me............

I noticed his staring into the camera as well but it didn’t really bother me all that much. Also, I think we can all agree, Hager talked too much during that segment. He needs to let the other guys have mic time as well.

 

[Judge Fudge]

Lee is looking a little heavy....and slow...

but still good to see him back in the ring...match felt a little sloppy though.

Punk and Mox...man that's a fun team

Fuck you Ill for throwing a Fastball into a glass celling

Now that you mention it. I know what to look for when i watch it back, while that and the hardy thing.

Those powerbombs at the End were cool though.

I thought it looked like a tag match was classic match. The spots, the near falls were dead on.

How about that Ref assisted Buckshot. That was awesome.

One thing that now that i digest everything. Serena Deeb was fucking awesome as a heat magnet tonight

 

[Judge Fudge]

I noticed his staring into the camera as well but it didn’t really bother me all that much. Also, I think we can all agree, Hager talked too much during that segment. He needs to let the other guys have mic time as well.

I hear ya but that annoys me. Me watching, it makes me go

"Whose he talking to?" "WTF has that for"

It takes away from the Segment IMO. If your doing a Segment with a mic, that is something different entirely because you know cheap shots are coming

That why i say HBK, MJF, Punk, Mox are some of the best Promo guys. They know how to use that hot camera.

 

[wildturkey]

Lee is looking a little heavy....and slow...

but still good to see him back in the ring...match felt a little sloppy though.

Punk and Mox...man that's a fun team

He had a bought with covid that really did a number on him. And once he recovered, WWE didn't really use him much at all before releasing him. Could take awhile for him to shake off the rust and get into ring shape. And with how serious his covid was, he might always have some lingering breathing issues so he could be more winded at times

 

[UVA_Guy81]

I hear ya but that annoys me. Me watching, it makes me go

"Whose he talking to?" "WTF has that for"

It takes away from the Segment IMO. If your doing a Segment with a mic, that is something different entirely because you know cheap shots are coming

That why i say HBK, MJF, Punk, Mox are some of the best Promo guys. They know how to use that hot camera.

To me, it just seemed more like he was looking at the people at home and was indicating “do you believe this shit?”.
I’d say no question MJF, Punk, Mox and Danielson are their best promo guys. Cody is hit or miss and Jericho I think is better on the mic as a heel than a face.

 

[ill]

Fuck you Ill for throwing a Fastball into a glass celling

Now that you mention it. I know what to look for when i watch it back, while that and the hardy thing.

Those powerbombs at the End were cool though.

I thought it looked like a tag match was classic match. The spots, the near falls were dead on.

How about that Ref assisted Buckshot. That was awesome.

One thing that now that i digest everything. Serena Deeb was fucking awesome as a heat magnet tonight

he's 100% a monster and will be loved as a monster....

but I was looking back at some old pics on him on his Instagram to see if he had said anything about being All Elite and he looked so much more fit a few years back when he was feuding with Dijakovic.

They kept calling him "an athlete" on AEW and I was like...he was...he doesn't look like one right now...

 

[Judge Fudge]

He had a bought with covid that really did a number on him. And once he recovered, WWE didn't really use him much at all before releasing him. Could take awhile for him to shake off the rust and get into ring shape. And with how serious his covid was, he might always have some lingering breathing issues so he could be more winded at times

And a heart issue. I do remember that

 

[wildturkey]

The Ass Boys have gotten a lot better since the last time I really paid any attention to them

 

[ill]

but still...this was pretty impressive

 

[UVA_Guy81]

 

[UVA_Guy81]

 

[justanidiot]

I thought they had more to lose with their reality show and the go big deal.

 

[wildturkey]

View attachment 289336

Still don't buy it. Cody seems like the type that would totally work the sheets and do this whole big production. He could very well be talking to WWE, but not in good faith, just doing it so the news would get out there that "Cody is talking to WWE". They've got too much invested with TurnerMedia. Rhodes to the Top was renewed for a 2nd season and is currently filming (this is likely a storyline for that show). He's got Go Big Show. WWE doesn't let its talent do that kind of stuff unless they have control of it and I doubt they'll negotiate a contract to make an exception for Cody Rhodes. He's a name with some star power, but he ain't that BIG of a name to warrant special treatment.

Now I could see him leaving AEW for awhile, doing the "independent" scene like feuding with his buddy Matt Cardona, who just won the NWA Title, but I'll be pretty surprised if he actually ends up back in WWE and this isn't a big time elaborate work.


What I find amusing is if he is gone, you really aren't gonna miss much. Cody Rhodes' stuff in AEW often feels totally disconnected from the rest of the show. You'll be watching Dynamite, everything feels part of the same universe, then you get a 1 segment pause where Cody does his thing and it feels like a separate show, then it goes back to AEW. Like if they never put out this announcement and did 3 weeks worth of shows without them appearing, you wouldn't even notice.

 

[Judge Fudge]

Still don't buy it. Cody seems like the type that would totally work the sheets and do this whole big production. He could very well be talking to WWE, but not in good faith, just doing it so the news would get out there that "Cody is talking to WWE". They've got too much invested with TurnerMedia. Rhodes to the Top was renewed for a 2nd season and is currently filming (this is likely a storyline for that show). He's got Go Big Show. WWE doesn't let its talent do that kind of stuff unless they have control of it and I doubt they'll negotiate a contract to make an exception for Cody Rhodes. He's a name with some star power, but he ain't that BIG of a name to warrant special treatment.

Now I could see him leaving AEW for awhile, doing the "independent" scene like feuding with his buddy Matt Cardona, who just won the NWA Title, but I'll be pretty surprised if he actually ends up back in WWE and this isn't a big time elaborate work.


What I find amusing is if he is gone, you really aren't gonna miss much. Cody Rhodes' stuff in AEW often feels totally disconnected from the rest of the show. You'll be watching Dynamite, everything feels part of the same universe, then you get a 1 segment pause where Cody does his thing and it feels like a separate show, then it goes back to AEW. Like if they never put out this announcement and did 3 weeks worth of shows without them appearing, you wouldn't even notice.

Im having trouble post links on my phone.

But Wrestlezone just posted an update. Here are a couple of quotes from it.

Regarding a potential return to WWE, a company that he departed back in 2016, Meltzer stated that it was “definitely something talked about…in certain circles about the potential of something happening.”

As it pertains to Rhodes’ post-AEW plans, Sapp reveals that WWE was aware of the situation and that this announcement was forthcoming.

And from the person we least expect for a good laugh....

 

[Duffman]

From PWI

So what happened with Cody Rhodes and AEW? That seems to be the big question everyone is asking.
At the end of the day, like all things do, it came down to money.

PWInsider.com has heard from multiple sources that several weeks ago, Rhodes and AEW President Tony Khan hit a snag in negotiations for Rhodes' new deal over pay. That led to the end of their discussions and within AEW among some wrestlers, the departure had at least been suspected.

ESPN's Mike Coppinger reported that Rhodes informed Khan this morning he was leaving AEW, but Rhodes was not at the Atlantic City taping this past Wednesday and one source noted that his road case, containing his gear and other belongings for the road, had been cleaned out, which some saw as a sign that he was "as good as gone." Until that point, all expectations had been that Cody and Brandi would be remaining with the company as there had been plans for them be at upcoming Dynamite tapings.

There are some who believe this must mean Rhodes will be signing with WWE. WWE sources confirmed they have had "contact" with Rhodes dating back to his AEW deal expiring at the end of 2021. There is no official word that he has signed with the company. Should he choose to do so, he would be free and clear to appear on WWE TV immediately. Rhodes has a long relationship with John Laurinaitis, who first signed him to a WWE developmental deal back in 2006.

We are told that there was an excitement among some who work in WWE about the potential of Rhodes coming in as a talent while others noted that from a strategic standpoint, Rhodes would be the first AEW to WWE jump who would also have intimate knowledge of how the company ran and operated given his position as an EVP, which Rhodes took extremely seriously the last several years.

As of this afternoon, Rhodes was not on the company's internal talent roster but the signing, from WWE's perspective, makes sense and is unless there's another major shift in the trajectory of things, is expected to happen by several we spoke to today. One source even believed Rhodes could at the WWE Performance Center as early as this weekend in preparation for a return.

WWE is in a position where they need fresh talent and obviously, WWE could present him as a big star as the first "jump" from AEW to try and make waves and also create the perception that the tide is turning against AEW and back towards WWE, similar to how Sean Waltman was presented after leaving WCW during the Monday Night War. One WWE source noted today that if they pushed Rhodes and gave him a big Wrestlemania match or title push, the subliminal message to all the other AEW stars is that this would be an example of how they would be treated if they made their way to WWE. Of course, that's what a WWE source is going to say, the most positive representation of what *could* happen.

Let's remember, it could be just as possible that WWE casts Rhodes back into a mid-card "Stardust" position, placing him back into the aimless role Rhodes had all those years ago that made him ask out of his WWE deal back in 2016. When you think about it, Rhodes right now is in a situation similar to John Morrison (before Morrison's WWE return) in that they each created a great body of work outside of WWE. In the case of Morrison, when he decided to return to the company, he was unfortunately slotted right back into the mid-card where he just stayed and there was no growth of his character at all from where he was when he first left the company. In a few weeks, it was as if he never left and he rarely had consistent traction or attention.

For the Cody Rhodes of 2016, such a mid-card placement and a life back on the road full-time might be a fate worse than death, but in 2022, this is an older Rhodes with a family. Just a few weeks ago, Rhodes told PWInsider.com that his priorities had changed following the birth of his first daughter, Liberty:

"Well, now that I have a child, I'm starting to look at the actual numbers on the checks, because for so long, I didn't care at all. I was, "Yeah, I want to be a wrestler." It doesn't matter what you pay me. Now you're starting to look at it like, "Okay, we've got to get this college fund. We've got to get this set up for this beautiful little girl." But the number one thing she's done for me, and this is, my life is about her at this point, and I can't see that changing forever. But the number one thing she's done for me personally, is, it has taken a lot of the selfishness away from me. All wrestlers are selfish, all wrestlers have egos, and if you meet one who doesn't, they're not a good wrestler or they're lying. But, I care a lot less about what happens to Cody Rhodes in terms of, I care a lot less about bad versus, what happens to Liberty and how does Liberty perceive this?"

Within AEW, obviously Rhodes' tentacles run long as number of his Nightmare Academy associates and students are involved with the company. There are some who were very down today upon learning Rhodes was gone, as he was someone who made time for everyone and did take on a mentorship role behind the scenes.

For those who have asked about how Rhodes leaving will change the day to day of the company, I don't expect much will change, if at all. The longer AEW has run, the more responsibilities and duties Tony Khan has taken on for himself and while Rhodes was an important lieutenant to Khan (think Triple H to Vince McMahon or Tommy Dreamer to Paul Heyman), at the end of the day, AEW's major decisions and directives were one in the same with Tony Khan the person. That won't change.

What today does mark is the end of an important chapter for AEW as the original Elite group that promoted "All In" under the Ring of Honor banner and later signed with Tony Khan to found AEW are no longer all under one roof. The legacy of what they all built will always be an important piece of pro wrestling history, even as Rhodes becomes the first one to branch off on his own outside of those accomplishments to determine what his next chapter in life and pro wrestling will be.

Other notes in relation to Cody-AEW:

For those who have asked if this is some intricate work, we are told that is not the case in the least.

For those who have asked about Dustin Rhodes, we have not heard of any changes in his status with AEW.

Obviously, the Rhodes to the Top reality series will not be moving forward for a second season. There is no word whether Rhodes is still contractually obligated to TBS' Go-Big Show should it be picked up for a third season.

Amanda Huber will take over AEW's Community Outreach Department, which Rhodes have been deeply involved in (and did a great job with.)

Attempts to reach Rhodes and Khan today were unsuccessful.

AEW's Public Relations today referred all questions back to the statement released this morning by Tony Khan.