I think Rhodes is THE Wrestler that Wrestling needed since Bob Backlund, The all around good guy that never chated nor took the easy way or abuse his backstage power to ruin the careers of possible up comming stars.
Thanks Cody for showing people what an adult should look like. The online wrestling community can be awful and super tribalistic. I don’t watch WWe but I hope nothing but the best for you and super happy to see your success :)
150% agree he needs to give people like CM punk and other some advice. There’s no need to bash the other company. Let the podcasts let the Jim Chordettes of the world do that shit because they’ve made a living off of it.
@@flyguy7825you can’t blame CM Punk. Wouldn’t you be upset if your co workers started rumors about you and got upset if you turned down a dangerous and unnecessary spot
Maybe Cody will write a tell all book when he's old and retired. He seems committed to "taking the high road" at the moment. I respect the way that he's currently conducting business.
Dude, just literally said he’s not taking the highroad. He generally doesn’t have anything negative to say if you read between the lines he’s basically saying I enjoyed my time. I didn’t really like how it ended, but it is what it is plus I had unfinished business here in WWE mission accomplished for him right now.
@@gerryzink3176I genuinely think that him not wanting to turn heel was the big issue. If what he says is true, and he did have plans on going back, it could be that he wanted the heel turn to happen in WWE. (Because, in his view, why "waste" the 'Homelander turn' in AEW?) Meaning AEW's product would have had to suffer with a guy, who is a "face", yet hated by the audience. & That is something, especially at that time, that AEW, as a company, did not need. Neither did WWE, seeing as how they turned Roman.(& Look how that worked out.) If yu notice, AEW has not had a character like that since. They don't make the audience deal with SuperCenas/SuperRomans. They go with the audience, rather than against it. I can definitely see Cody refusing to do so causing issues backstage. Especially with folk who knew he planned on leaving.
Yeah, you have whole channels sorely dedicated to talk crap about AEW and so on while the wrestlers themselves wants the success of companies like this it gives jobs to people they know.
He told on stone cold podcast that he doesn't want to be a gate keeper wrestler and put it on simple terms it's to be wwe champion :) and he did the write thing for leaving aew and won the wwe title at wm 40 the two year wait was worth it
Cody is an absolute professional and it seems a really nice guy. He seems to appreciate every experience and respect everyone who has given him a leg up.
He did the same thing when he left WWE he didn’t speak bad of them in interviews. He did the throne thing but other than that interviews he would always give them respect.
That's not true, especially if you watch BTE skits. He took shots at WWE regularly but I admit they slowed down tremendously when WWE let go their claim to the "Cody Rhodes" trademark in 2020.
I like how in interview Cody always relates moments in his life to movies and also asks if you know the movie before relating it to the story even if is an incredibly famous movie
MJF said in a promo that Will Ospreay was no Cody Rhodes. He managed to sneak his name in there and they kept it. Darby referenced Cody Rhodes once, and they even had a video package for Jack Perry showing him in a match with Cody, though it was really brief. I'm glad that a lot of people respect Cody Rhodes for what he has done with AEW during his tenure and with WWE.
@@alternative7586 It's always been obvious a larger portion of AEW has respect for Cody, than Cody does for any portion of AEW. Listen closely to Cody and it's all about how much better he always was, and how he always knew AEW was just a stepping stone, etc... yet to this day some of the AEW lifeblood still respects him and brings him up in positive ways. Very one sided... and most importantly, not justified. Cody is not Hogan, or even American Dream level. He isn't even close to that.
Depends on what section of aew fans you’re around. There’s plenty of AEW fans who see Cody as a piece of shit who betrayed the great company to work for the bad sports entertainment company.
@@Sem-ifinalistI’m more of an AEW fan than WWE. But, I will always be positive about Cody. He help build a new era in wrestling & made the biz as a whole way better.
This is why Cody is my favorite WWE superstar right now. He’s never ever spoken one negative word about AEW. He’s not taking the high road. He’s being legit. The only thing I wish would have said is that people need to stop shitting on AEW if you don’t like their product, don’t watch it, but don’t shit on it and try to discredit the company for the sake of kissing the ass of WWE
People are criticizing AEW because they want it to be better. I don't understand why you AEW diehards cannot understand that. We WANT there to be great wrestling all around. The product sucks right now and it is a shame because they have an amazingly talented roster who are being wasted on some 40 year old virgin billionaire's dream match fetish.
True wrestling fans will criticized any wrestling promotion because we want great wrestling from any company so we have choices to watch and enjoy also see your favorite wrestlers be very successful. The ones that criticize aew over any other company way more then needs to be is the problem. Yes Tony needs to step back to just owner and let actual promoters run the show and they need to stop trying to be wwe and be themselves
@@CharlesDLincoln I couldn't agree more, I just want it to be better, as do many fans. I want more wrestling companies to like, but right now AEW is just too hard for me to be a fan of. They've got good talent, it's just the booking and having an over bloated roster and Tony Khan not being a good leader that ultimately makes it hard to like it. Also AEW die hards need to stop acting like all wrestling fans who throw criticism means we want it to fail, I said the same things about WWE and TNA years ago, but I did it because I wanted it to get better, as I'm sure many others did too
At the end of the day, it's still something he helped build, so to me, it makes sense he wouldn't want to shit on it even if he didn't leave on the best of terms.
He really is. The dude constantly talks in doublespeak, which is a major tell that the dude has legit Snake tendencies. Politicians never speak straight up about anything.
@@ezza2x899 I disagree I think he's genuine, I think he loves AEW and the ELITE, but has some gripes that would serve to give his freind CVV a great clip, so he doled out a nothing controversy, which is inherently contradictory yet honest.
The AEW fanboys on Twitter are crying about this of course. Be praised and talked great about AEW, but all they’re focusing on is Cody saying his ending was “terrible” so they’re shitting on him
Once Cody's current contract in WWE is set to end, there is a really good chance that AEW will try to get him back by offering him Okada / Sasha Banks (Mercedes Monie) type money (A.K.A: multi-million dollar contract). That will cause a bidding war between WWE and AEW. Burning the AEW bridge would mean burning away a potential multi-million dollar bidding war. Also, you never know what could happen with WWE management in the future (While I don't think the following will happen, there is always a chance that Triple H and everyone else currently in charge gets fired by TKO and they are replaced with someone who doesn't exactly like Cody and / or starts writing up some incredibly poor booking decisions that starts making Cody look really bad. Always a good idea to keep other bridges like AEW clean and NOT burnt, just in case he ever needs a place to escape to).
The bidding wars can potentially lower the pay of the undercard and midcarders if wwe spends too much money to match Tony Khans offers than wwe could just end up doing more mass releases to save money .aew bidding wars by proxy could be bad for both promotions for different reasons wwe because of pay and aew because of the whole this guys taking my spot thing .
Tons of respect for Cody. He’s a great performer, but he’s also a kind and generous one. And he also understands business - and THE business. He will make a great wrestling executive someday.
Honestly, he should go back after his current deal is up. Let him win the world title of the company he helped start (specifically taking it from MJF). It would be perfect icing on the cake of Cody's career.
What’s negative to say? How about the children who are EVP’s who drove the biggest star out of the company. How the money mark in charge who thinks Meltzers star ratings are drawing power. What about the toxic fan base? The declining ratings? AEW is a joke they’re just lucky Cody is a gentleman.
Exactly. Without AEW, there is no Cody Rhodes and CM Punk. CM Punk wouldn't have come back to wrestling and Cody Rhodes wouldn't have become the American Nightmare we see today. Two of WWE biggest stars today btw
"How AEW ended was terrible" "People are going to write books later, and these stories are going to get out there, and then it's a whole new ball game" "Regardless of any petty squabbles" Not once does he mention his "love" for anyone or his business partners, just his his "love" for the company itself.
Him moving on like this is admirable, and as WWE Champion continuing a hot storyline, it's serving him well. He's better than some older veterans that all they want to do is backstab, hold onto a grudge and don't let go.
He's made some vague inferences so not entirely true but he's been mostly professional. He's much better fit for WWE though and obviously it's worked out tremendously. Happy for him.
Absolutely love that he won’t bad mouth AEW. If you’ve followed Cody through his career and understand the work he did to help the indies and then create AEW, can surely understand why. Didn’t burn that bridge.
Mud slinging is better left when you can't physically wrestle anymore. Plus when you're the babyface champion of the biggest wrestling company in the world right now I'd say that is a healthier thing to focus on
A few things that have been on my mind. Cody is class and wouldn't trash AEW. Why would someone say negative things about something they helped create? The product is not the same since he left. But I was wondering about the Punk/TK/Elite drama. Does that happen if Cody was still there? I am gonna guess no. He would likely be able to smooth everything over and keep the waters calm as the locker room leader. I feel like the product was def better when he was there. I feel like the stories are rushed now for no reason. I am pretty sure that we will never see Marty Scurll. And rightfully so. But do the Elite still speak with him? Are they on good terms etc...
I don’t think the stories are rushed at all. Look at the Toni Mariah one. Look at hangman swerve. They have great stories imo. Not perfect but super fun
@@dannyKhanyaps there is no reason for MJF vs Will Ospreay tomorrow. That's a ppv quality match. I also didn't like that they rushed Orange Cassidy vs Trent. I feel like they can let these stories evolve a bit more. I am loving heel Okada. He's hysterical! I can't comment on ROH.
@@WilliamthefourthHard agree on the OC vs Trent part. Biggest wishful prediction is that they're planning a Conglomeration vs Don Callis storyline so OC vs Trent can be more relevant.
@@Williamthefourth Trent got hurt. There is absolutely no way Ospreay and MJF ends here. It’s dynamite 250, so they’re doing something special. MJF vs Adam Cole was on dynamite and then main evented Wembley. Just wait and watch brother
Cody liked Tony. It was the other EVPs he didn't like, I feel. Once he saw they never were going to shake off that indie feel, he knew it was time to go.
Exactly! Hulk Hogan in AWA was HulkaMania and all the ingredients were there. He just needed the right stage. Cody same exact thing. He discovered who he in AEW, and perfected it in WWE. I also don’t believe either Hogan or Cody would’ve got as big as they were if they didn’t leave.
I am always astonished at how much more toxic, like, EXPONENTIALLY TOXIC the fans are than the wrestlers are about AEW/WWE, etc. The wrestlers clearly support each other, and just want places where they can all be treated with respect, paid fairly, etc. The fans basically cannot let any discussion, related or unrelated, go by without taking a shot at one company or the other. It's always been baffling to me.
I was lucky enough to be at Cody’s last AEW match.. that tnt title ladder match against Sammy at beach break… to this day that’s my favorite match I’ve seen live. It was worth every bit of the 2 hour drive to go see. Cody’s the dude, both companies are doing great. Good time to be a wrestling fan
Agreed. The Cody that left WWE wasn’t the one that came back. The babyface Cody we have now was made in those early AEW days (not New Japan or Ring of Honor where he was still a heel).
The Vincels are angry that the guy won't dump on a massive part of his legacy? Making devotion to a corporation a massive part of your personality just isn't healthy.
as opposed to the boy billionaire's company and it's fanbase that can't acknowledge it's own massive failings yet throws shade on a WEEKLY basis? apples and oranges
Cody was the only mainstream name of the group. But i guess given how Tony is with all his niche groups, he was probably seeing them all on the same level
Mainstream = Known by WWE fans? Cause he sure wasn't what we traditionally call "Mainstream", and the founding roster had plenty of other well known names. Just not if you only watched one product and for less than a decade total.
He doesn't talk bad about AEW because he's as responsible for his run being not great as they are. Was it AEW's idea to have that never challenge for the World belt stip? Was it their idea for that US vs UK overtone of his feud with Anthony Ogogo? Cody made many mistakes and he knows it. It's why the fans turned on him despite no proper heel turn.
Cody basically founded AEW and brought a lot of that talent into the company. Wardlow, Starks, Baker, MJF, Jungle Boy, etc were guys Cody saw either get tryouts in WWE and not get in or guys he saw on the Indies and passed good notes about them. He also scouted Jade Cargill as well. Him leaving AEW to go to WWE is easily the biggest indictment that there was heat on the way out. I don't think he goes to WWE if Tony never stripped down the power of the VPs and tarted taking more involvement into the business at all levels.
Don't forget, Ladies and Gents. When you look at Cody, you're looking at the man, who along with his beautiful black and white baby, and his beautiful, black, strong and black wife, ended racism in America.
You're one of the company's top faces. It's generally not a good look to trash the competition, especially when they're a distant competitor. I know CM Punk doesn't pull punches, but his critiques on Ariel Helwani's show were actually quite mild compared to when he broke his silence when leaving WWE the first time. He even had scathing things to say about HHH, but I'm guessing Punk's primary beef was with Vince, as it seems like he/HHH are now on great terms.
Who cares if he was last to sign ? What a stupid thing to nitpick….. but then again it’s the young bucks……. Thanks for the biggest babyface in wrestling and also the most polarizing figure both being in wwe now
Hulkamania was the same? HELL f ing no dude... not even remotely close... no one living today will do what Hogan did back then! Before Hogan Wrestling was no pop culture, it was just a niche product! Hogan changed that! And F all the revisionistic BS, it was Hulk Hogan, in the 80s fame rush of MR T, Rocky 3, Cindi Lauper...this whole thing launched WWE to highs that they never came back from! Till this day. It all started with this SToryline and nobody can tell me anything else, because I did not read that somewhere! Nobody told me! I LIVED IT!
To all the AEW cry hards, Cody has literally said his end at AEW was "Terrible" and when the stories get out there itll be a whole new ball game. That is a fantastic sentence for Cody to say on this interview and i cant wait to see how itll be written and people realise The Bucks are the problem
Cause he act like a professional. same like when he left WWE. He just left and go on to the new thing. Sure he didn't like a lots of things at the end of his first run and spoke negatively on some of it but he never speak ill of anyone. And when he left AEW is the same thing. He just left and probably have some negative thought on lots of thing there but he's not going to bash anyone over it (at least not now). that's being a "PROFESSIONAL" not whining and bitching every time you don't like something.
Glad Cody is getting to be himself now. I just think, however, he would have second guessed himself if Vince was still in charge. Vince ALWAYS broke down someone before building them back up into "his" image of them regardless of how good they were somewhere else.
“Aew defenders” brother, do you understand why people are passionate to defend the company? AEW is the alternative and a good one. Majority of WWE fans are what’s turning people off, how you wishing someone loses their job? And rejoice at things that make AEW look bad
So why do people treat Cody differently for leaving, compared to Stephanie Vaquer? Cody is the top wrestler in the world right now, but Tony Khan and all his cronies are screaming and crying about Stephanie going to WWE, someone I've never even heard of. Cody had far more value for AEW than Stephanie could have ever given to them. Tony would never say anything bad about Cody, even though Cody has absolutely zero interest in returning to AEW. When he recently resigned with WWE, the thought of going back to AEW didn't even cross his mind. He's in WWE 4 life.
I like to think most real AEW fans are glad to see Cody killing it as the biggest Babyface in WWE. Those ones that want to clutch at straws and villainise him are just internet weirdos being weirdos.
Every time he speaks i like him less. Anyone who watched that entire AEW run knows Cody literally booked himself into the midcard and then booked himself to be an unlikeable homelander clone. And this is coming from a guy who doesn't like the Bucks either. Cody needs to look into the accountability mirror. When you speak in meta-commentary every promo, throw shots at the competition in a deliberate fashion, and allow your untalented family to get a spot that could have gone to a better worker, that backlash will find its way to you eventually. Ask Giannis and Lebron.
0:30 Wait, has AEW ended?! I don’t keep up with Wrestline (besides some CVV interviews) at all, but I had no idea it ended? Unless he just means his time there maybe..?
I see a decent amount of hate towards AEW, especially from WWE fans, which is no surprise. But, i hope for those, to realize what a important part AEW played recently in the wrestling world. WWE ppvs got a whole lot better, and not to mention the exchange of roster. Cody wouldn't be where he is today, if it weren't for AEW.
I think Cody is handling things like a sensible mature adult.
I think Rhodes is THE Wrestler that Wrestling needed since Bob Backlund, The all around good guy that never chated nor took the easy way or abuse his backstage power to ruin the careers of possible up comming stars.
That's why he didn't fit in AEW
Also you may correct me with Bret Hart, Stone Cold, John Cena and Roman Reigns that's fine.
He’s a politician, there’s a reason he lives homelander. He’s a manipulative sociopath just like him.
This is also why a lot of AEW fans cannot process or accept his adult decisions.
Thanks Cody for showing people what an adult should look like. The online wrestling community can be awful and super tribalistic. I don’t watch WWe but I hope nothing but the best for you and super happy to see your success :)
150% agree he needs to give people like CM punk and other some advice. There’s no need to bash the other company. Let the podcasts let the Jim Chordettes of the world do that shit because they’ve made a living off of it.
@@flyguy7825you can’t blame CM Punk. Wouldn’t you be upset if your co workers started rumors about you and got upset if you turned down a dangerous and unnecessary spot
@flyguy7825 it's super disingenuous to try to shame cm punk for being mad at being slandered and assaulted by his direct superiors.
Well said
@@BlackPuma124 Thays assuming they did!! Whe haven’t heard there side of the story
Maybe Cody will write a tell all book when he's old and retired. He seems committed to "taking the high road" at the moment. I respect the way that he's currently conducting business.
With that being said, I doubt that his reasons for leaving AEW are little more than money based.
maybe but i doubt it.. most fans won't even remember that AEW existed when Cody is old and retired
Dude, just literally said he’s not taking the highroad. He generally doesn’t have anything negative to say if you read between the lines he’s basically saying I enjoyed my time. I didn’t really like how it ended, but it is what it is plus I had unfinished business here in WWE mission accomplished for him right now.
Like he said is there a high road to take when you don't have one?
@@gerryzink3176I genuinely think that him not wanting to turn heel was the big issue.
If what he says is true,
and he did have plans on going back,
it could be that he wanted the heel turn to happen in WWE.
(Because, in his view, why "waste" the 'Homelander turn' in AEW?)
Meaning AEW's product would have had to suffer with a guy, who is a "face", yet hated by the audience.
& That is something, especially at that time, that AEW, as a company, did not need.
Neither did WWE, seeing as how they turned Roman.(& Look how that worked out.)
If yu notice, AEW has not had a character like that since.
They don't make the audience deal with SuperCenas/SuperRomans.
They go with the audience, rather than against it.
I can definitely see Cody refusing to do so causing issues backstage.
Especially with folk who knew he planned on leaving.
Cody Rhodes is to AEW like Kendrick Lamar is to TDE. Both of them left their old employers on good terms with no drama or beef
Great example 👏🏽👏🏽
Kendrick left TDE?
I dunno. Cody drops sneak disses.
Yeah, never burn your bridges
Yep. His last album on tde was Mr. Moral @Paycheck2Paycheck
it’s funny how wrestlers who leave both companies have nicer things to say then “fans” on the internet
Yeah, you have whole channels sorely dedicated to talk crap about AEW and so on while the wrestlers themselves wants the success of companies like this it gives jobs to people they know.
They’ve to keep their options open to make money, that’s the main reason.
@@moisesfreire6408yup, like certain popular "podcast" from certain popular ex manager
Wrestling tribalism is was like this during the monday night wars with wwf and wcw
I agree with the fans point but let's not forget the first Saraya promo.
Because he is a gentleman. He left AEW to become one of the greatest WrestleMania headliners of all time.
He told on stone cold podcast that he doesn't want to be a gate keeper wrestler and put it on simple terms it's to be wwe champion :) and he did the write thing for leaving aew and won the wwe title at wm 40 the two year wait was worth it
Greatest headliners?
@@President_Shinhe has Sammy has his pfp, so it’s a based comment
@@President_Shinonly in 2020s... but all time? he doesn't belong there
Lol
and to win the big boys belt.
Cody is an absolute professional and it seems a really nice guy. He seems to appreciate every experience and respect everyone who has given him a leg up.
Honestly I like seeing people switch companies, and be mature about it. The one thing AEWs success proved is how annoying the wrestling fanbase is.
Lmfao Yup all you guys do is bitch.
Both sides. Just like politics. Everyone is wrong and annoying.
@@Thor-Orion False equivalence is the lowest form of stupid.
@@Thor-Orion the both side in politics will always be a dumb thing to hear or read
@@bett431 vice versa
He did the same thing when he left WWE he didn’t speak bad of them in interviews. He did the throne thing but other than that interviews he would always give them respect.
Do NOT look at his skits on BTE
@@smxkestacks3664 they were so good!!! that Halloween on the cruise vid!!! so good!
Did you not watch AEW or BTE. Cody always threw shade at WWE. Most of the “AEW bashing WWE” people complained about came from Cody.
@@Linklex7
How Dare Yu Acknowledge History!!
What Are Yu!?!
Some Kinda Truther!???
That's not true, especially if you watch BTE skits. He took shots at WWE regularly but I admit they slowed down tremendously when WWE let go their claim to the "Cody Rhodes" trademark in 2020.
I felt cody leaving aew was the right decision and all he wanted was to be wwe champion :) that is a goal he wanted and he did it!
I like how in interview Cody always relates moments in his life to movies and also asks if you know the movie before relating it to the story even if is an incredibly famous movie
People in AEW always bring up Cody’s name in a positive light so obviously there’s a lot of respect even after he left.
MJF said in a promo that Will Ospreay was no Cody Rhodes. He managed to sneak his name in there and they kept it. Darby referenced Cody Rhodes once, and they even had a video package for Jack Perry showing him in a match with Cody, though it was really brief. I'm glad that a lot of people respect Cody Rhodes for what he has done with AEW during his tenure and with WWE.
@@alternative7586 It's always been obvious a larger portion of AEW has respect for Cody, than Cody does for any portion of AEW. Listen closely to Cody and it's all about how much better he always was, and how he always knew AEW was just a stepping stone, etc... yet to this day some of the AEW lifeblood still respects him and brings him up in positive ways. Very one sided... and most importantly, not justified. Cody is not Hogan, or even American Dream level. He isn't even close to that.
Depends on what section of aew fans you’re around. There’s plenty of AEW fans who see Cody as a piece of shit who betrayed the great company to work for the bad sports entertainment company.
@@athleticgeek8997Yeah I see a lot of tribalist comments but hopefully thats just a loud minority of AEW audience.
@@Sem-ifinalistI’m more of an AEW fan than WWE. But, I will always be positive about Cody. He help build a new era in wrestling & made the biz as a whole way better.
This is why Cody is my favorite WWE superstar right now. He’s never ever spoken one negative word about AEW. He’s not taking the high road. He’s being legit. The only thing I wish would have said is that people need to stop shitting on AEW if you don’t like their product, don’t watch it, but don’t shit on it and try to discredit the company for the sake of kissing the ass of WWE
AEW ALL EMPTY WRESTLING is trash
Fans critcize AEW .
AEW fans: dont watch it.
AEW ratings fall.
AEW fans: suprised pikachu face
People are criticizing AEW because they want it to be better. I don't understand why you AEW diehards cannot understand that. We WANT there to be great wrestling all around. The product sucks right now and it is a shame because they have an amazingly talented roster who are being wasted on some 40 year old virgin billionaire's dream match fetish.
True wrestling fans will criticized any wrestling promotion because we want great wrestling from any company so we have choices to watch and enjoy also see your favorite wrestlers be very successful. The ones that criticize aew over any other company way more then needs to be is the problem. Yes Tony needs to step back to just owner and let actual promoters run the show and they need to stop trying to be wwe and be themselves
@@CharlesDLincoln I couldn't agree more, I just want it to be better, as do many fans. I want more wrestling companies to like, but right now AEW is just too hard for me to be a fan of. They've got good talent, it's just the booking and having an over bloated roster and Tony Khan not being a good leader that ultimately makes it hard to like it. Also AEW die hards need to stop acting like all wrestling fans who throw criticism means we want it to fail, I said the same things about WWE and TNA years ago, but I did it because I wanted it to get better, as I'm sure many others did too
Cody is Batman
very apropos
Nah he More like Tony stark mixed with homelander
You spelled homelander wrong.
More like Harvey Dent
@@theultra1167 im sure it’s ok but if not please provide the correct spelling
Even though Cody doesn't never really say anything negative about AEW, he made a smart decision on leaving.
I agree wholeheartedly!
Keep politics out of this, sped
At the end of the day, it's still something he helped build, so to me, it makes sense he wouldn't want to shit on it even if he didn't leave on the best of terms.
I wonder if he still gets royalties or dividends from AEW. LIke you said, he built it from the ground up so he deserves to profit off it IMO
Cody is such a well polished politician wrestler lmao.
He really is. The dude constantly talks in doublespeak, which is a major tell that the dude has legit Snake tendencies. Politicians never speak straight up about anything.
@@2Good2BeTrue45 such a smart observation
Cody 2032? 🇺🇸
He’s HHH 2.0 after all his bashing over the years he’s become the thing he hated
@@ezza2x899 I disagree I think he's genuine, I think he loves AEW and the ELITE, but has some gripes that would serve to give his freind CVV a great clip, so he doled out a nothing controversy, which is inherently contradictory yet honest.
The AEW fanboys on Twitter are crying about this of course. Be praised and talked great about AEW, but all they’re focusing on is Cody saying his ending was “terrible” so they’re shitting on him
Don’t burn bridges just in case….
Once Cody's current contract in WWE is set to end, there is a really good chance that AEW will try to get him back by offering him Okada / Sasha Banks (Mercedes Monie) type money (A.K.A: multi-million dollar contract). That will cause a bidding war between WWE and AEW. Burning the AEW bridge would mean burning away a potential multi-million dollar bidding war. Also, you never know what could happen with WWE management in the future (While I don't think the following will happen, there is always a chance that Triple H and everyone else currently in charge gets fired by TKO and they are replaced with someone who doesn't exactly like Cody and / or starts writing up some incredibly poor booking decisions that starts making Cody look really bad. Always a good idea to keep other bridges like AEW clean and NOT burnt, just in case he ever needs a place to escape to).
The bidding wars can potentially lower the pay of the undercard and midcarders if wwe spends too much money to match Tony Khans offers than wwe could just end up doing more mass releases to save money .aew bidding wars by proxy could be bad for both promotions for different reasons wwe because of pay and aew because of the whole this guys taking my spot thing .
This is probably the most open he’s been about AEW. I can’t wait for his retirement when he finally just opens up about everything tbh
Tons of respect for Cody. He’s a great performer, but he’s also a kind and generous one. And he also understands business - and THE business.
He will make a great wrestling executive someday.
4:31 somebody from aew finally said it
Cody Rhodes is a true professional
Cody Rhodes is professional. Something that’s a lot to ask for these days. A lot of disrespectful people
Honestly, he should go back after his current deal is up. Let him win the world title of the company he helped start (specifically taking it from MJF). It would be perfect icing on the cake of Cody's career.
What's there negative to say about AEW? Cody had a great run there, and if it wasn't for AEW, he wouldn't be WWE champion right now.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
What’s negative to say? How about the children who are EVP’s who drove the biggest star out of the company. How the money mark in charge who thinks Meltzers star ratings are drawing power. What about the toxic fan base? The declining ratings? AEW is a joke they’re just lucky Cody is a gentleman.
Exactly. Without AEW, there is no Cody Rhodes and CM Punk. CM Punk wouldn't have come back to wrestling and Cody Rhodes wouldn't have become the American Nightmare we see today. Two of WWE biggest stars today btw
@@lamelmazerouno9332yeah no thats bullshit and you know it
without cody rhodes there is no aew
"How AEW ended was terrible"
"People are going to write books later, and these stories are going to get out there, and then it's a whole new ball game"
"Regardless of any petty squabbles"
Not once does he mention his "love" for anyone or his business partners, just his his "love" for the company itself.
Him moving on like this is admirable, and as WWE Champion continuing a hot storyline, it's serving him well. He's better than some older veterans that all they want to do is backstab, hold onto a grudge and don't let go.
cody is holding so much back. much respect to the king.
He's made some vague inferences so not entirely true but he's been mostly professional. He's much better fit for WWE though and obviously it's worked out tremendously. Happy for him.
Cody is a real life role model in how to handle yourself and act. Was not always a big fan of him but i have unlimited respect for him.
He not the star WWE deserves
But the star WWE needs
Stop the cap Cody Rhodes is absolute mid
Stop
Lol they have Roman, Rock, LA Knight. They don't need him. He is good to have that's all
It's the dark knight reference 😂
That comment is by far the cringiest thing I've seen on RUclips today, go outside dude
Cody was always more a WWE performer and that's fine. He's an adult and is not an idiot
He takes the high road because he is an sensible mature adult. A quality rare in most people today.
Wild to me that aew fans hated Cody Rhodes but the wwe fans love Cody Rhodes
Didn't hate Cody, just hated the fact he refused to turn when it would have been incredible
The indie/AEW run is incredible in a lot of ways than not. Changed the damn business.
Nice interview
Who’s the person off camera who was at the meeting first ?
Who's off camera?😂
How can you not like this guy?
Absolutely love that he won’t bad mouth AEW. If you’ve followed Cody through his career and understand the work he did to help the indies and then create AEW, can surely understand why. Didn’t burn that bridge.
Mud slinging is better left when you can't physically wrestle anymore.
Plus when you're the babyface champion of the biggest wrestling company in the world right now I'd say that is a healthier thing to focus on
A few things that have been on my mind. Cody is class and wouldn't trash AEW. Why would someone say negative things about something they helped create? The product is not the same since he left. But I was wondering about the Punk/TK/Elite drama. Does that happen if Cody was still there? I am gonna guess no. He would likely be able to smooth everything over and keep the waters calm as the locker room leader. I feel like the product was def better when he was there. I feel like the stories are rushed now for no reason. I am pretty sure that we will never see Marty Scurll. And rightfully so. But do the Elite still speak with him? Are they on good terms etc...
I don’t think the stories are rushed at all. Look at the Toni Mariah one. Look at hangman swerve. They have great stories imo. Not perfect but super fun
@@dannyKhanyaps there is no reason for MJF vs Will Ospreay tomorrow. That's a ppv quality match. I also didn't like that they rushed Orange Cassidy vs Trent. I feel like they can let these stories evolve a bit more. I am loving heel Okada. He's hysterical! I can't comment on ROH.
@@WilliamthefourthHard agree on the OC vs Trent part. Biggest wishful prediction is that they're planning a Conglomeration vs Don Callis storyline so OC vs Trent can be more relevant.
@@Williamthefourth Trent got hurt. There is absolutely no way Ospreay and MJF ends here. It’s dynamite 250, so they’re doing something special. MJF vs Adam Cole was on dynamite and then main evented Wembley.
Just wait and watch brother
Cody liked Tony. It was the other EVPs he didn't like, I feel. Once he saw they never were going to shake off that indie feel, he knew it was time to go.
Vice versa, cody is fine with evps but not with tony
Exactly! Hulk Hogan in AWA was HulkaMania and all the ingredients were there. He just needed the right stage.
Cody same exact thing. He discovered who he in AEW, and perfected it in WWE.
I also don’t believe either Hogan or Cody would’ve got as big as they were if they didn’t leave.
4:33 THAT PART!
I am always astonished at how much more toxic, like, EXPONENTIALLY TOXIC the fans are than the wrestlers are about AEW/WWE, etc.
The wrestlers clearly support each other, and just want places where they can all be treated with respect, paid fairly, etc.
The fans basically cannot let any discussion, related or unrelated, go by without taking a shot at one company or the other. It's always been baffling to me.
I was lucky enough to be at Cody’s last AEW match.. that tnt title ladder match against Sammy at beach break… to this day that’s my favorite match I’ve seen live. It was worth every bit of the 2 hour drive to go see. Cody’s the dude, both companies are doing great. Good time to be a wrestling fan
I really like he brought up BTE n Kenny Omega - it’s what brought me back into wrestling
The BTE Era is a relic of a time gone by, but it was by far the most entertaining thing in all of wrestling in the later part of the 2010s decade.
That Hogan comparison is pretty apt.
That's quite the insult to Cody
Lol, so you're saying he insulted himself by comparing himself to Hogan, one of his heroes? Gtfo of here.
Agreed. The Cody that left WWE wasn’t the one that came back. The babyface Cody we have now was made in those early AEW days (not New Japan or Ring of Honor where he was still a heel).
The Vincels are angry that the guy won't dump on a massive part of his legacy? Making devotion to a corporation a massive part of your personality just isn't healthy.
as opposed to the boy billionaire's company and it's fanbase that can't acknowledge it's own massive failings yet throws shade on a WEEKLY basis?
apples and oranges
I don't see a single person in this comment section saying he should trash AEW.
If anything, he's universally respected for being professional.
Cody was the only mainstream name of the group. But i guess given how Tony is with all his niche groups, he was probably seeing them all on the same level
Mainstream = Known by WWE fans? Cause he sure wasn't what we traditionally call "Mainstream", and the founding roster had plenty of other well known names.
Just not if you only watched one product and for less than a decade total.
He doesn't talk bad about AEW because he's as responsible for his run being not great as they are. Was it AEW's idea to have that never challenge for the World belt stip? Was it their idea for that US vs UK overtone of his feud with Anthony Ogogo? Cody made many mistakes and he knows it. It's why the fans turned on him despite no proper heel turn.
Cody basically founded AEW and brought a lot of that talent into the company. Wardlow, Starks, Baker, MJF, Jungle Boy, etc were guys Cody saw either get tryouts in WWE and not get in or guys he saw on the Indies and passed good notes about them. He also scouted Jade Cargill as well. Him leaving AEW to go to WWE is easily the biggest indictment that there was heat on the way out. I don't think he goes to WWE if Tony never stripped down the power of the VPs and tarted taking more involvement into the business at all levels.
mark henry scouted jade
Respectful, polite, professional.
He was good for helping write stories for others, but terrible booking for himself.
Who was off camera? I have only seen this clip so far.
I remember when I found out he was one of the guys behind this new promotion I had to get behind it I love Cody he’s one of best wrestler of this era
who cuts these? ai??
Don't forget, Ladies and Gents. When you look at Cody, you're looking at the man, who along with his beautiful black and white baby, and his beautiful, black, strong and black wife, ended racism in America.
You're one of the company's top faces. It's generally not a good look to trash the competition, especially when they're a distant competitor. I know CM Punk doesn't pull punches, but his critiques on Ariel Helwani's show were actually quite mild compared to when he broke his silence when leaving WWE the first time. He even had scathing things to say about HHH, but I'm guessing Punk's primary beef was with Vince, as it seems like he/HHH are now on great terms.
Mad respect to Cody for taking the high Rhode.
Who cares if he was last to sign ? What a stupid thing to nitpick….. but then again it’s the young bucks……. Thanks for the biggest babyface in wrestling and also the most polarizing figure both being in wwe now
What an awesome human being! Not a bad pro wrestler either.
So who is "this guy" sitting off camera, like Cody mentions at 4:44 ?
He was pointing at a mirror.
I’d like to know to, I have no idea.
Hulkamania was the same?
HELL f ing no dude...
not even remotely close...
no one living today will do what Hogan did back then!
Before Hogan Wrestling was no pop culture, it was just a niche product!
Hogan changed that!
And F all the revisionistic BS, it was Hulk Hogan, in the 80s fame rush of MR T, Rocky 3, Cindi Lauper...this whole thing launched WWE to highs that they never came back from! Till this day.
It all started with this SToryline and nobody can tell me anything else, because I did not read that somewhere! Nobody told me! I LIVED IT!
Who is the guy off camera?
Some gay
Gotta let him talk chris
That Batman reference was cool.
To all the AEW cry hards, Cody has literally said his end at AEW was "Terrible" and when the stories get out there itll be a whole new ball game.
That is a fantastic sentence for Cody to say on this interview and i cant wait to see how itll be written and people realise The Bucks are the problem
It's refreshing to see a wrestler leave on good terms and be humble about it but Cody did screw himself by restricting his status to the mid-card
Good
It honestly feels like he's got better things to do than worry about what’s going on with AEW, so why bother talking about it?
Cause he act like a professional. same like when he left WWE. He just left and go on to the new thing. Sure he didn't like a lots of things at the end of his first run and spoke negatively on some of it but he never speak ill of anyone. And when he left AEW is the same thing. He just left and probably have some negative thought on lots of thing there but he's not going to bash anyone over it (at least not now). that's being a "PROFESSIONAL" not whining and bitching every time you don't like something.
Glad Cody is getting to be himself now. I just think, however, he would have second guessed himself if Vince was still in charge. Vince ALWAYS broke down someone before building them back up into "his" image of them regardless of how good they were somewhere else.
Unlike Tony Khan, Cody Rhodes is a professional.
How many employees has Tony Khan trafficked?
Tony Khan isn't the one going around graping both male and female employees
cant wait to see cody last run on aew as legend, and we all know he will return, when he finish his incredible run in wwe
“Aew defenders” brother, do you understand why people are passionate to defend the company? AEW is the alternative and a good one. Majority of WWE fans are what’s turning people off, how you wishing someone loses their job? And rejoice at things that make AEW look bad
Ratings across the board disagree.
@@noneedtoknow-yv2tu oh ok, got me! Sounds like you’re the type
So why do people treat Cody differently for leaving, compared to Stephanie Vaquer? Cody is the top wrestler in the world right now, but Tony Khan and all his cronies are screaming and crying about Stephanie going to WWE, someone I've never even heard of. Cody had far more value for AEW than Stephanie could have ever given to them. Tony would never say anything bad about Cody, even though Cody has absolutely zero interest in returning to AEW. When he recently resigned with WWE, the thought of going back to AEW didn't even cross his mind. He's in WWE 4 life.
😂 I like how AEW had both Jeff Jarrett and Cody at one point all they are missing is one of the mcmahons and Al snow to complete the creators gauntlet
Professional wrestler.
Enjoy some WWE but Cody's AEW run was way more entertaining. Extreme at points.
I like to think most real AEW fans are glad to see Cody killing it as the biggest Babyface in WWE. Those ones that want to clutch at straws and villainise him are just internet weirdos being weirdos.
He was granted freedom with Khan. If he stayed in WWE Vince would have never look at him more then what Tony saw in him.
It will come sooner than later
Every time he speaks i like him less.
Anyone who watched that entire AEW run knows Cody literally booked himself into the midcard and then booked himself to be an unlikeable homelander clone.
And this is coming from a guy who doesn't like the Bucks either. Cody needs to look into the accountability mirror. When you speak in meta-commentary every promo, throw shots at the competition in a deliberate fashion, and allow your untalented family to get a spot that could have gone to a better worker, that backlash will find its way to you eventually. Ask Giannis and Lebron.
😂😂
Cody kept trying to talk and Chris interrupted him ha
0:30 Wait, has AEW ended?! I don’t keep up with Wrestline (besides some CVV interviews) at all, but I had no idea it ended? Unless he just means his time there maybe..?
In kayfabe AJ Styles, "you helped starting a company then you quit too ", Stardust taunts😂😂
We all know Aj would have been in aew too if Vince didn’t use his final brain cell to sign Aj .
Chris tried to butter Cody up by saying he took the high road😂. Glad cody shut that bs down. Its ok to have guest and not always flatter/suck them
the fact he says how AEW ended and not his time there is HAUNTING
how crazy is it to think the FACE of WWE is talking so Openly about the rival company AEW. so crazy
Who’s the guy he’s quoting as “off camera”?
I’d think Jericho
Cody Rhodes > Martin Luther King Jr.
Lmaoo 😂
that was great decision to leave aew and then become champion in wwe...
He’s a class act
What a champion
Cody Rhodes
Roman Reigns
John Cena
Randy Orton
The Undertaker
Dean Ambrose
Brock Lesnar
God Stark
The Rock
Seth Rollins
CM Punk
Drew McIntyre
I see a decent amount of hate towards AEW, especially from WWE fans, which is no surprise. But, i hope for those, to realize what a important part AEW played recently in the wrestling world. WWE ppvs got a whole lot better, and not to mention the exchange of roster. Cody wouldn't be where he is today, if it weren't for AEW.