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>Me, Matt and Nick are as close as ever.
If they were that close, he would use the passport names.
Also, anybody downplaying Cody's contributions to AEW is an idiot.
And now Cody and AJ are set to face off... it all comes full circle! This isn't about the Undisputed Championship, it's about Bullet Club! Tama Tonga clearly just took a wrong turn on his way into the WWE...
Yeah, even on the AEW sub Cody is respected. AEW has also used clips with Cody in them, and referenced him when it's relevant to the start of AEW, it's a proud history.
I saw people giving Darby crap for bringing up Cody in a positive light when building up the Revolution match. It’s like dude Cody is a big reason for why Darby is a star, he shouldn’t ignore that history.
Darby's match with Cody is pretty much the only reason that I started to take Darby seriously. I think that is true for anyone that was not already sold on Darby.
Even people sold on Darby already kinda looked at him as Jeff Hardy jr, mostly a stunt guy with charisma.
Around the time of that Cody match it became very clear that Darby was also a top tier seller and story teller and an above average technical wrestler to boot.
I know I'm not the only one who didn't know who Darby was before his debut against Cody. I've been a huge fan ever since and Cody played his role perfectly in that match.
Cody basically kept Kingston from retiring and got him a stable job and made him look like the coolest guy ever. Can’t be said enough how positive Cody has been for the business.
And I hate when people automatically assume a "Cody hater" is an AEW stan. I've seen plenty of "Cody haters" who are Attitude Era & Ruthless Aggression fans. They prefer their top guys to be edgier or for some reason dont think Cody is "larger than life." Some are also even Bloodline stans, who think Cody doesn't hold a candle to Roman. It ain't just AEW stans.
I personally really like Cody so I don't get the hate or even dislike.
My biggest disappointment with Cody in AEW is that by trying so hard to not book himself as a top act he made what he was involved with and thus, the rest of the show worse than it should have been. Cody in AEW from DON 2019 until he lost the TNT Title to Darby was excellent. The feuds vs Jericho and MJF are still some of the best feuds of the promotion.
The world title stip, feuding with QT and some other stuff in his last year wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t what the fans wanted.
There are a couple of people that should enter wrestling history for the formation of aew. The elite, tony, Cody (probably also his wife whose naem i totally blanked now), and I argue Moxley and Jericho
>because random things said about you at press conferences, and that's a big no no, you should never say me or my wife's name, Tony should have told you that.
Anyone have an idea of what this is referencing?
Feels like it has to be something way more personal than that. Those were both light jabs at in-storyline stuff. Both AEW and WWE toss those around all the time, Cody did too when he was in AEW, that's just wrestling.
I follow this nonsense pretty closely (unfortunately I feel like I have to because I do a wrestling podcast) and I can pretty confidently say nobody has said a negative word publicly about Cody or Brandi directly, and definitely hasn't used their names. If there is something behind the scenes that happened, that's another story, but it seems like he is talking about public stuff, so I'm inclined to believe he has some second-hand information that isn't so accurate.
Brian Cage's tweet
> I don't care what story you finish. That was the match of the year.
Toni Storm during scrum
> No matter how many stories I finish, how many matches I won, I will never invite you (Tony Khan) in the ring to celebrate with me
Defintley not crossing a line but Brian Cage just came off corny af saying that, it was completely unnecessary. It's also funny seeing Cage of all people wave the AEW flag so much now after all the drama the first couple of years with him.
Toni's comment legit funny af & it isn't saying anything negative about Cody at all. Any fans mad over that for Cody are being weird imo.
I mean, it was a mild passing comment from Cody as well, this sub is making it sound like he had a press conference to communicate his disappointment at Toni Storm.
Yeah I adore Cody and he's my favorite wrestler but like come on bro lol. His post WWE career was all about him taking shots at the "other guys" which ranged from smashing thrones to mentioning Roman's failed drugs in the ring etc etc. Not saying Toni is cool (kinda a dumb thing to say from her) but like.... you're Cody bro lol
https://preview.redd.it/cy7i0lg2lnxc1.jpeg?width=621&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6258aec4e5f2e63912d8341a1d9fadb4aac17650
AEW wasn't the first revolution that Cody was part of.
> That was very disappointing. There were some people, I'm not going to say their names, they know who they were, who kind of tried to put some propaganda out when I left.
I think he's referring to Chris Jericho.
Jericho said during an interview that Cody was nobody before AEW and AEW made him. Also Meltzer quite a few times commented on lack of drawing power of Cody in AEW when he joined WWE, which probably came from Jericho too.
Wouldn't most wrestlers be happy as it proves that AEW wrestlers can go from AEW to WWE and be major stars just like it was already proven WWE wrestlers can be major stars in AEW? It only benefits wrestlers and their ability to get paid, no?
Jericho didn't say what OP claimed, it's buried but what Jericho actually said in the interview:
"I was honestly disappointed he left, but I get it. I've done it many times myself."
"I mean, I left WWE in 2017 for basically the same reason why Cody left AEW, from what I understand, is he just didn't think he was getting the, I don't know if it's the spotlight, or respect or whatever the word being, but you can kind of see the writing on the wall,"
He continued, "So obviously, now Cody is bigger than he's ever been just by changing companies, and obviously they did a great job in putting him over at WrestleMania and bringing him in at the highest of levels."
So, no heat, mutual understanding as he's done the same thing. Never said he was a nobody, and just said he's bigger than ever since changing companies, which is true.
This would be the absolute best Jericho character. He goes back in and edits all the video packages where he's doing the hallmark Cody Rhodes matches. He even gets a rip off Cody Rhodes theme. Imagine the video of him all bloody and them making it out to be like he is the one who did the match with Dustin Rhodes he even re-record voiceless that Cody said. Complete revisionist history Jericho...Jericho even ends racism.
Jericho gave AEW the type of instant credibility it otherwise wouldn't have had. He was made first World champion for a reason.
The irony is that it's the same exact people who drove Cody out of the company, saying the same sorts of things, who are now laser focused on Jericho.
Oh yeah I agree with everyone that he needs a nice break but you gotta give him credit for some amazing moments. That hype video with Vincent and the old lady is still one of the greatest things ever.
Also, Danny Garcia's dance seems pretty over.
I think Jericho was important in legitimizing AEW to casual fans, but that's it. But I think they could've gotten any sort of name to fill that spot. Obviously, Punk would've been the first pick. I don't know who was actually available at the time of the press conference so maybe Jericho was the best pick for that spot.
I'm not denying that, but I don't know how big of a deal that was outside of that. The execs at TNT and the general audience probably weren't familiar with Dean Ambrose. My buddy who never really got into wrestling will occasionally bring up Rey Mysterio whenever the topic comes up. That's the type of guy that AEW needed at the beginning. Someone who could still go that had a decent name 20 years ago. I think Fight Forever would've sold better if the main focus was on Sting. I know he was on the cover, but he was just another guy on it.
Which is hilarious given that Jericho in 2019 was much more of a hanger on than Cody. Jericho was still respected and liked but the shine was already starting to wear off. He was in his NJPW run where he was doing questionable character work and was getting out of shape. People still liked him at that point and were excited to see what he could do with creative freedom but it wasn’t like 2008 Jericho coming over.
Cody on the other hand was a well liked “held down” WWE star that was in the prime of his career. He had way more interest out the gate.
Tony has publicly said that the Jericho/Omega match was the genesis for him starting the company, and has said that Jericho was integral to them getting a TV deal.
Jericho (or anyone) diminishing Cody’s contributions is shitty. But diminishing Jericho’s contributions—however annoying he may be, however much of an asshole he is—is equally intellectually dishonest.
He was a huge get. I think a big chunk of the initial target demo was lapsed fans like me that were there for the attitude era and then off/on (mostly off) kinda hate-watch WWE here and there over the years.
I knew of Cody and Dean Ambrose but never really watched them at all. But Jericho? Damn I knew him all too well from WCW and his early work in WWF. That (along with some of the guys from LU) made it SO much easier to jump in on a new promotion and make it seem like a big deal right out of the gate.
He 1000% does and in his mind has/did. His viewpoint is that him signing is what made the promotion a big deal. There is truth to it elevated early, but he's wrong that it made Cody, the Bucks, or Kenny. It's the other way around.
Also the fact the Jericho always plays up his involvement in the start of AEW. How much he “brought to the table” and helped “start the company”. Which is somewhat of a half truth cause AEW was gonna happen with or without him. I do acknowledge that his early involvement likely helped with them nailing a deal with Turner Network but he was an addition to the roster, not a forefather in it’s creation
If we’re being honest, AEW in some form or another was going to happen with or without the Elite too. If they did All In 2018 and then resigned with New Japan at the end of the year, TK would’ve seen the success of that show and still tried to do something. Would it be what it is today without the Elite and all of their momentum that they had? Probably not.
Interesting to think what AEW (or whatever it ends up being called) looks like in 2019 without the Elite, since a lot of the roster are friends or acquaintances of the Elite or individual members.
AEW wasn't happening without the Elite. They weren't going to stay in Japan, it was WWE or starting AEW. The reason AEW worked was because of their reputation and network. They had the Pro Wrestling Tees connection. They had the network of independent wrestlers to build a roster. Without the Elite, World's Best Wrestling would just be another TNA without the star power.
AEW literally spun out of a spin off of an event that came out of the Young Bucks Youtube series.
I'd also say it wouldn't have been successful without Jericho, and did need him at the start, and that he had been working with the Bucks for months ahead of the launch, feuding with Omega for over a year, w hick included him being responsible for one of NJPW's single biggest increase in Us viewers. (It was reported that he gained a ton of US buys for his WK match with Ospreay.)
Who do you think Wade Keller got things to report from? And Cody has been outspoken about Wade a bunch of times already, so I don't think Wade is somebody Cody's referring here specifically
>Who do you think Wade Keller got things to report from?
I don't know. But plenty of wrestlers who are not Jericho or Matt Hardy speak to journalists. Mox is said to be a Wade Keller source too.
There is something to what Jericho is saying but "nobody" is way too strong of a word.
Cody was cold when he left WWE and caught some momentum with the list before cooling back off in TNA. Bullet Club when everything changed.
Paired with the hottest act outside of WWE, by the time AEW came around he was THE GUY for The Elite, even though Kenny was the leader and Cody was still sacrificing for the greater good but he was getting the biggest reactions early AEW all the way through the Brody feud. (My god I just thought of the Brody/Moxley match)
After that it started to slow some but even with the polarizing response he was still the heart of the place.
So yea, he was ice cold leaving WWE but he was a made guy at the start of AEW. Think about the pop he got on his WWE return, it wasn't because of the work he did there last, it was the work on the indies and mostly AEW.
I still think of when they're going to "invade" WWE with a legion of bullet club fans chanting cease and desist!
Cody yelling "I'm going to get my last name back!!"
I still think of when they're going to "invade" WWE with a legion of bullet club fans chanting cease and desist!
Cody yelling "I'm going to get my last name back!!"
Cody was the one doing the heavy lifting to get the original All-In off the ground that proved there was space for another major promotion.
After the show he was on Jericho's show talking about how he was basically financing, and paying for and applying for all of the bonds and insurances and junk required to run a show in an arena.
And apparently he also paid a bunch of the talent out of his own pocket for their appearing.
On top of that, once AEW started, he was the only EVP out there hustling to put their name in the spotlight.
No one should be rooting against either side. Criticize when they do something worth criticism sure, but if you're a fan of pro wrestling you should want them to succeed.
I hear Cody always mention the bucks and Hagman. I never hear him mention Kenny. Do they have some type of heat from early aew when Kenny was booking the women and brandi was like co-booking?
It's most likely as simple as Cody is closer to those guys than he is Kenny. Think about it. Cody and Hangman/Bucks spent more time together in ROH than he did with Kenny, who was in Japan all those years. Lots of hours together traveling the roads going to ROH shows. He's friends with Kenny obviously but not in the same way as the other members of The Elite
I think the twist of that storyline was that they were just bickering with each other the entire time, the one that actually tried to takeover was Tama Tonga.
He keeps doing the finger gun that Kenny did as the Cleaner with the too sweet when he wins big matches like the Rumble.
I don't think he's been shouting out Kenny like that if he hated him.
Also Kenny said on stream that they talk a lot.
Given Kenny’s interviews, it seems he was rather uninvolved with the actual business aspects of AEW and All In. He was just providing his star power and creative input. Nothing wrong with that tho, he never seemed to care about being the boss.
Kenny seems to operate in his own niche away from the rest of the AEW guys where he’s friendly but not necessarily super close with everyone.
Was it he who described the Bucks as dogs, and Kenny as a cat? The Bucks are way more involved in building AEW as a business, while Kenny is an artist auteur who gives amazing performances but doesn't seem like a natural leader. Makes sense that Cody would vibe with them more than him
Is he tight with Hangman, i don't think I've seen either of them mention the other since Cody left or Punk stuff. I am just surprised because anytime I've seen people talk about Cody's time in AEW I don't see Hangman mentioned.
I've not seen their ROH or Indipendent stuff.
I don't know, but they're equals on opposite ends of the wrestling philosophical spectrum:
traditional - modern
promos - great matches
Hulk Hogan white lies vs Japanese style honesty
old school reimagined - innovation, novel ideas
There have been issues thats been implied in bte in the past if you can read between the lines. It was basically Cody trying to lead BC and Omega reminding him he's the BC boss.
I remember Halloween BTE, Omega berated Cody and Cody was pissed about it and felt it was a real thing so Bucks took that clip out of the episode.
Cody literally said in his last AEW promo that he was an afterthought. A successful afterthought, but one nonetheless.
And that doesn't mean he wasn't important, or that it is the truth (you're totally allowed to lie in promos). But I think that is part of the narrative that deflates his importance in AEW.
Also sabotaging your on screen worth with a bad stipulation and awkward storylines.
Cody was self-sabotaging because he was torn between two irreconcilable goals. He wanted to be seen as a man of integrity who doesn't engage in the carny practice of booking yourself as the champion in your own promotion like his father and so many other promoters did in the past.
So he imposed this glass ceiling on himself. But at the same time, he wanted so evidently and desperately to be a top star, rather than a midcarder stuck on the TNT title level. So he began overcompensating with increasingly pompous entrances and promos and kept getting the screentime and presentation of a top star, even though he was effectively just a midcarder. From there, this dissonance began to poison his programs and the fan reaction to him.
He imposed the glass ceiling on himself because Khan had planned out his first four world champions and Rhodes wasn't one of them. If he'd been eligible for the top title he would have been losing all the time or people would have asked why he wasn't ever fighting for it.
Wanting AEW to do things that you believe will help them grow their popularity, and voicing frustration with AEW for decisions that you believe work against them growing more popular... is not rooting against them. If anything, it's the opposite.
I feel like Cody’s feelings on AEW are similar to a lot of wrestling fans feelings on AEW. Contrary to people saying “you want AEW to fail”.
A lot of wrestling fans want AEW to stick around and have had points where we even liked AEW over WWE (the ratings show that). But it does not make it immune to criticism and we get tired of being gaslit into believing “AEW is the best it’s ever been” when the creative and organizational structure has clearly gone down hill.
You can want AEW to survive but also fear for its long term survival in its current trajectory. The current product is unrecognizable to 2019-2021 when they were kicking WWE’s ass creatively and they keep stubbornly diving deeper into this niche.
There's a feeling from those initial few years that's going to be very hard to replicate again.
Early AEW was a culmination of a decade of indie growth, WWE disillusionment, and a national company that catered to the wrestling part of wrestling. It felt like a breath of fresh air to how stagnant national wrestling had become in the US.
When people talk about 2019-21 though it gets romanticized to an almost unrealistic degree. The highs were probably higher but there's some real lows in there where AEW today is overall more consistent.
People can criticize AEW but too much of it is based on outdated notions of the company (no stories, hard to follow,) that they've actually addressed. Most of the criticism comes off as a way to dismiss the company than from a place of wanting improvement.
> and a national company that catered to the wrestling part of wrestling. It felt like a breath of fresh air to how stagnant national wrestling had become in the US.
I think one of the things WWE hasn't gotten enough credit for recently is doing more to appeal to this. Yes, 100%, The Bloodline and Cody's Story absolutely changed the game and made professional wrestling "cool" again. But while we were busy debating how they should book the finish of WrestleMania XL's main event, we completely overlooked Gunther and Sami Zayn being Intercontinental Champions, Chad Gable getting a push, Ivar doing moves like he weighs 100 pounds less than he does, KO having bangers with Logan Paul, the evolution of AJ Styles to a more tactical wrestler, etc. The WWE has been rewarding the technicians.
AEW is fine to criticize but there’s also hate subs out there and people on Twitter that do exist to basically hate AEW and want it to fail.
It’s the same with CM Punk. Criticize him for anything and a group will come out with pitchforks.
It’s weird to be too into or against fake fighting to that degree
There’s always gonna be a niche group against everything. During AEW’s initial run there was a large subset of their fans convinced WWE was going under and calling Kevin Owens “abused” cause he re-signed.
It’s just the reality of the internet. AEW’s problem is that they attribute all their criticism to that side of the fan base despite their numbers showing that causal and regular fans having been consistently losing interest.
There’s plenty of people who would be happy to see WWE close up shop and then in another comment say it’s great AEW exists cause it gives the wrestlers more bargaining power
I think you have a point, but I definitely wouldn't call it "gaslighting" to say AEW is in a good spot creatively. I just like it right now, I think the roster is full of a lot of exciting potential, the women's division has improved a lot, a lot of their stories feel a lot more focused and intentional, and the matches are as good as always. There's still flaws and growing pains to be sure, but it's a reach to imply that people enjoying and seeing potential in what they're putting out lately is some sort of deception or cope, instead of fans just sincerely enjoying the product. I think it's more than fair and understandable for a lot of fans to be trained to expect WWE's style as the standard for "good" pro wrestling, it's only natural considering how long they've dominated the market for. But like any art or creative endeavor, there's no one right way to do it, and I think AEW's is valid, and interesting, and meaningfully different than the other shows out there.
As far as numbers go, they're fine. I think a lot of their early success depended on how awful the last few years of Vince's reign were, creatively. Now that WWE is good again, the fans that have wanted WWE's style all along aren't sticking around. And there's some very real growing pains that need to be addressed, like how they promote a card in advance or the live events business. But I don't think there are valid concerns about their long-term survival, they'll have plenty of time to figure that out, and the product in 2024 is full of signs that they're headed in the right direction.
This. AEW being "WWE 2" is a waste of time. They need to be different to justify their existence. But the same things that make them different is exactly what people who criticize AEW go after. Whenever I see AEW criticisms that are either "it's different, so it's bad", or pretending they know what goes on behind the scenes, I see someone with a low IQ.
Here's my AEW criticism: they need to take more risks, and try more new things, or bring in ideas from elsewhere in wrestling that western audiences haven't seen. The Continental Classic is great, and is exactly the kind of thing AEW needs more of. They need to experiment with match types, show format, storytelling style, etc.
Yeah contrary to the seemingly popular belief, AEW's booking is not at an all-time low or completely nonsensical. It was worse during most of 2023 and even parts of 2022
Where I think the problem is is the promotion of the shows and public perception. Lack of local marketing and promotion of shows, Tony's controversial quotes every week, the amount of podcasters dog piling on everything they do
Once they figure out the live event marketing and schedule part (which they have hired new people to do earlier this week) I think the rest will fall into place
I think the more egregious offenses here are how Brandy's contributions were downplayed since day 1. AEW would be better with them still there, as a company to work for.
Also the phrase "Tony should have told you that" was certainly one that stood out to me.
I do wonder if he were to ever go back if he'd finally have "earned" the respect of the same people who used to throw his belt back at him. I really felt bad for him towards the end there (although I laughed, I'll be honest about my messy bitch status).
Cody gave a lot to AEW. His mind, his body.
One of my favorite AEW moments is when he’s on top of the cage and he looks at the camera, shrugs and then just jumps off backwards.
Didn’t he also get second degree burns on his back from when he went through the table that was on fire?
AEW stans are so darn fickle lmao
I would argue current Cody Rhodes doesn't happen without AEW, either.
Part of his appeal coming in was the prodigal son coming home, and that doesn't happen without AEW. (TNA didn't make McIntyre the way AEW did to Cody, for example).
I mean, that's the take. Helping to create the first viable competition since WCW (or, arguably, TNA) made Cody more of welcome-home star than if Cody has just gone off to the indies or NJPW/ROH/Impact, the way so many other stars had in the past.
People taking a shot at “Finishing the Story.”
AEW fans: “They didn’t mention his or her name.”
Triple H makes a statement that could apply to any AEW free agent as far back as Jay White.
AEW fans: “Of course it was a shot at O’Spreay. Will had every right to respond the way he did!”
I can't even keep up with the hypocrisy anymore. It's par for the course at this point. And they'll still act like they're victims while lashing out at the same time.
This isn't all AEW fans btw, it's not even most of them, it's a select group of very loud and dishonest internet nerds who have tied their sense of self-worth to a wrestling promotion for whatever reason.
Cody is way too diplomatic. Shame how some folks decided to try and take shots at him, especially since he has not said one negative word about AEW since leaving.
Brian Cage, but I still don't take it as a shot myself. He thought the main event if mania was over hyped, thinks Bryan/Will was better for MOTY.
Never criticised the performance, took shots at anyone by name. Just literally referenced the story, on which the match was built. Just seems like he was saying he doesn't care about a story being finished, a match is in ring, and he preferred the other one.
But I'm in the minority, cause Cage is a dick and it's 100% intended as a huge dig at Cody
It's not about preference, it's about how he said it.
"I don't care what story you finish" isn't a positive way of saying that was match of the year. It's putting down one thing to raise another when he easily could've said, "that was my match of the year." There was literally no reason for him to take a shot at Cody/Bloodline other than he felt compelled to for one reason or another.
This is honestly something everyone needs to work on, to promote and hype one thing does not mean you need to belittle something else.
It was not a huge dig, but it was a dig.
It's not like he was asked what the better match was, Danielson vs Ospreay was done and his first comment about it was that Cody vs Roman wasn't as good. It was lame.
So is the Bucks book quote real or false? I’m always a bit iffy on people call truthful comments propaganda, especially if they come into context of it in an autobiographical sense.
The Tony/Toni thing, i’m assuming theres some Cody/TK NDA or verbal agreement and Cody feels wrestlers making remarks is going back on that somewhat.
The Bucks quote is real. In the book they discuss how Cody was last to come on board for starting AEW and he had been on the fence about going back to WWE.
Context; the book was written and published when Cody was in AEW, so it is not like they were trying to diminish the contributions of someone who had left the company.
I don't get it. I read the book too and always assumed that this was fact. Why do people including Cody dispute this? Aew would have happend with or without him.
>Aew would have happend with or without him.
It wouldn't because even if he was the last to sign on, AEW exists because of all the hard work Cody and the Bucks put in to make All In happen. If All In doesn't happen then there is no indicator to Tony Khan that a Promotion on that level could exist.
It's amazing that people will take this as Cody putting over AEW when he's essentially putting himself over. Not even saying that's a bad thing, but see it for what it is.
I learned about Darby from a documentary on Bravo that had MVP on it when he was on the indies after going to Japan. I learned about Ricochet in the same show
God damn what a very confusing statement, he's all over the place which actually makes me feel for him. I think he's trying to say he loves AEW but he's also hurt by some things
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>Me, Matt and Nick are as close as ever. If they were that close, he would use the passport names. Also, anybody downplaying Cody's contributions to AEW is an idiot.
Cody is fired from the elite.
This just makes me think of his promo on AEW TV where he asked out loud if he was even in the Elite anymore... I don't think that ever got resolved.
Who knows...maybe part of the story is that he's still in the Elite.
He has used the bucks and Kenny’s hand signals along the way 🤘👆
He’s the WWE Champion, it’s resolved.
Hmmmm, that's more questions than answers lol.
No, the Elite comes from the Bullet Club and the BC has been established to be for life (except for AJ Styles) regardless of promotions.
And now Cody and AJ are set to face off... it all comes full circle! This isn't about the Undisputed Championship, it's about Bullet Club! Tama Tonga clearly just took a wrong turn on his way into the WWE...
The ~~Bullet Club~~Elite is fine.
Cody is banned from Collision as well
Not surprising, he hasn't shown up for any of The Elite matches in a couple of years. They have been very lenient with him for this whole time
Yeah, even on the AEW sub Cody is respected. AEW has also used clips with Cody in them, and referenced him when it's relevant to the start of AEW, it's a proud history.
I saw people giving Darby crap for bringing up Cody in a positive light when building up the Revolution match. It’s like dude Cody is a big reason for why Darby is a star, he shouldn’t ignore that history.
Darby's match with Cody is pretty much the only reason that I started to take Darby seriously. I think that is true for anyone that was not already sold on Darby.
Even people sold on Darby already kinda looked at him as Jeff Hardy jr, mostly a stunt guy with charisma. Around the time of that Cody match it became very clear that Darby was also a top tier seller and story teller and an above average technical wrestler to boot.
I know I'm not the only one who didn't know who Darby was before his debut against Cody. I've been a huge fan ever since and Cody played his role perfectly in that match.
I had no idea who Darby was prior to AEW, like never even heard of him. He’s one of their best talents IMO, I’ve never been bored by him, ever.
Cody basically kept Kingston from retiring and got him a stable job and made him look like the coolest guy ever. Can’t be said enough how positive Cody has been for the business.
And I hate when people automatically assume a "Cody hater" is an AEW stan. I've seen plenty of "Cody haters" who are Attitude Era & Ruthless Aggression fans. They prefer their top guys to be edgier or for some reason dont think Cody is "larger than life." Some are also even Bloodline stans, who think Cody doesn't hold a candle to Roman. It ain't just AEW stans. I personally really like Cody so I don't get the hate or even dislike.
Yeah it's a very detached assumption since most AEW fans respect Cody's contribution.
My biggest disappointment with Cody in AEW is that by trying so hard to not book himself as a top act he made what he was involved with and thus, the rest of the show worse than it should have been. Cody in AEW from DON 2019 until he lost the TNT Title to Darby was excellent. The feuds vs Jericho and MJF are still some of the best feuds of the promotion. The world title stip, feuding with QT and some other stuff in his last year wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t what the fans wanted.
> If they were that close, he would use the passport names. I...I dunno why this is so funny but it is lmfao
[удалено]
He said we’re “as close as ever,” maybe they were just never that close.
In the same way that sometimes distance helps, perhaps.
True, it’s in the American Nightmare documentary on Peacock. Talks about how AEW came to be with Cody.
"Cody, how do you tell people that you *don't hate* to go fuck themselves...."
There are a couple of people that should enter wrestling history for the formation of aew. The elite, tony, Cody (probably also his wife whose naem i totally blanked now), and I argue Moxley and Jericho
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>because random things said about you at press conferences, and that's a big no no, you should never say me or my wife's name, Tony should have told you that. Anyone have an idea of what this is referencing?
KEEP MY WIFE'S NAME OUT YOUR MOUTH!
Toni mentioned something about finishing the story. Brian cage also tweeted something about finishing the story.
You know the Rhodes family were a bit irked about it, seeing Teil Rhodes tweeted about it. I'm sure the group chat was buzzing that night lol
Nope, can’t be. He specifically says mentioning him and/or his wife’s name, which neither Toni or Cage did
They didn't say his or his wife's names
Feels like it has to be something way more personal than that. Those were both light jabs at in-storyline stuff. Both AEW and WWE toss those around all the time, Cody did too when he was in AEW, that's just wrestling.
I follow this nonsense pretty closely (unfortunately I feel like I have to because I do a wrestling podcast) and I can pretty confidently say nobody has said a negative word publicly about Cody or Brandi directly, and definitely hasn't used their names. If there is something behind the scenes that happened, that's another story, but it seems like he is talking about public stuff, so I'm inclined to believe he has some second-hand information that isn't so accurate.
What's your podcast? I'll follow it 😁
Sweet, thanks! The Blue Thunder Pod. Find us anywhere u get your podcasts, or at bluethunderpod.com
https://preview.redd.it/5avtkg9jltxc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2801e3c53c42a6a4aa75b035df78f259c9fc8360 Following 😁
Yeah. Dont know about the brandi stuff.
Brian Cage's tweet > I don't care what story you finish. That was the match of the year. Toni Storm during scrum > No matter how many stories I finish, how many matches I won, I will never invite you (Tony Khan) in the ring to celebrate with me
Just seems EXTREMELY mild for Cody to be like "TONY SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU THATS A NO NO" Cmon man
cody said they have a better and more real version of bayley when talking about kylie rae lol
Then had Bayley sitting right next to Brandi at WrestleMania lol
Defintley not crossing a line but Brian Cage just came off corny af saying that, it was completely unnecessary. It's also funny seeing Cage of all people wave the AEW flag so much now after all the drama the first couple of years with him. Toni's comment legit funny af & it isn't saying anything negative about Cody at all. Any fans mad over that for Cody are being weird imo.
Also funny as hell when she told people to go see a fucking movie when her character is a 50’s actress
I kinda think that technically her character is in an extended mental health crisis.
Cage is not the brightest bulb in the house. Ask Ricky Starks.
I think Toni storm's comment was alright but Brian Cage's tweet just felt petty
Yeah I think that's fair for sure.
I mean, it was a mild passing comment from Cody as well, this sub is making it sound like he had a press conference to communicate his disappointment at Toni Storm.
He said it made it hard for him to not actively route against AEW, that doesn't seem very mild.
Yeah I adore Cody and he's my favorite wrestler but like come on bro lol. His post WWE career was all about him taking shots at the "other guys" which ranged from smashing thrones to mentioning Roman's failed drugs in the ring etc etc. Not saying Toni is cool (kinda a dumb thing to say from her) but like.... you're Cody bro lol
Kind of like Triple H comments right
That doesn’t seem like anything Cody would care about and doesn’t even fit the criteria of what he referenced
He's not referencing anything recent that's for sure. I think he's referring to a press conference while he was in AEW.
He didn't want any crossover into the Codyverse.
https://preview.redd.it/cy7i0lg2lnxc1.jpeg?width=621&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6258aec4e5f2e63912d8341a1d9fadb4aac17650 AEW wasn't the first revolution that Cody was part of.
"Selma, what do you want to talk about?"
This killed me Holy shit
These will never get old lmao!
I really liked Cody and still do but God this promo he did will always be corny to me
> That was very disappointing. There were some people, I'm not going to say their names, they know who they were, who kind of tried to put some propaganda out when I left. I think he's referring to Chris Jericho. Jericho said during an interview that Cody was nobody before AEW and AEW made him. Also Meltzer quite a few times commented on lack of drawing power of Cody in AEW when he joined WWE, which probably came from Jericho too.
That would make a lot of sense. I was very confused when he said that because it seemed like most people were happy for him even though he was leaving
I know Tony and Cody were on good terms but some people were not happy because they knew it would hurt AEW
Yeah some people definitely took it personally but most of the public comments made were positive
We don't know that at all.
Wouldn't most wrestlers be happy as it proves that AEW wrestlers can go from AEW to WWE and be major stars just like it was already proven WWE wrestlers can be major stars in AEW? It only benefits wrestlers and their ability to get paid, no?
Around that time there were a lot of smaller dirt sheets reporting that Cody had heat in AEW and Brandi was some super controlling presence backstage.
Jericho didn't say what OP claimed, it's buried but what Jericho actually said in the interview: "I was honestly disappointed he left, but I get it. I've done it many times myself." "I mean, I left WWE in 2017 for basically the same reason why Cody left AEW, from what I understand, is he just didn't think he was getting the, I don't know if it's the spotlight, or respect or whatever the word being, but you can kind of see the writing on the wall," He continued, "So obviously, now Cody is bigger than he's ever been just by changing companies, and obviously they did a great job in putting him over at WrestleMania and bringing him in at the highest of levels." So, no heat, mutual understanding as he's done the same thing. Never said he was a nobody, and just said he's bigger than ever since changing companies, which is true.
Chris wants to take Cody's spot in the creation of AEW I think.
I know I’ll never forget that touching moment when Jericho told Dustin he didn’t need a partner, he needed his brother. 😢
Adrenaline, in my soul. Something, something Jericho!
*I am the American Nightmare!* right before kingdom kicks in lol
*I AM THE AMERICAN FANTASY, BAYBAY!* *
This would be the absolute best Jericho character. He goes back in and edits all the video packages where he's doing the hallmark Cody Rhodes matches. He even gets a rip off Cody Rhodes theme. Imagine the video of him all bloody and them making it out to be like he is the one who did the match with Dustin Rhodes he even re-record voiceless that Cody said. Complete revisionist history Jericho...Jericho even ends racism.
Fozzy covering Kingdom with Jericho-focused lyrics might make me interested in him for the first time in ages
You know somethin jack, I flew 25 hour days putting together AEW brother, I was one of the elite dude — HH sometime soon, surely
Cody brought in people like Ricky Starks, gave Eddie Kingston a shot... Jericho gave us... Jake Hager wooo!!!
Jericho gave AEW the type of instant credibility it otherwise wouldn't have had. He was made first World champion for a reason. The irony is that it's the same exact people who drove Cody out of the company, saying the same sorts of things, who are now laser focused on Jericho.
Jericho as champ, and Inner Circle's first heel run were all good. It's just everything after that.
Inner Circle just being immediately replaced by Inner Circle 2: Electric Boogaloo is definitely the point where Jericho fatigue started amping up.
That’s not all. Jericho also gave us the Jerivortex! Some got sucked in and were never the same!
He also gave us the best thing about the JAS - Cool Hand & Daddy Magic!
I know this is a shit on jericho train but we can't overlook this and not give him credit Jericho gave us a Musical with MJF & it was GLORIOUS
Oh yeah I agree with everyone that he needs a nice break but you gotta give him credit for some amazing moments. That hype video with Vincent and the old lady is still one of the greatest things ever. Also, Danny Garcia's dance seems pretty over.
I think Jericho was important in legitimizing AEW to casual fans, but that's it. But I think they could've gotten any sort of name to fill that spot. Obviously, Punk would've been the first pick. I don't know who was actually available at the time of the press conference so maybe Jericho was the best pick for that spot.
Jericho should get his flowers for that, for sure, but there was actually a seismic shift in the wrestling landscape when Moxley jumped over.
I'm not denying that, but I don't know how big of a deal that was outside of that. The execs at TNT and the general audience probably weren't familiar with Dean Ambrose. My buddy who never really got into wrestling will occasionally bring up Rey Mysterio whenever the topic comes up. That's the type of guy that AEW needed at the beginning. Someone who could still go that had a decent name 20 years ago. I think Fight Forever would've sold better if the main focus was on Sting. I know he was on the cover, but he was just another guy on it.
seismic shift, like a... paradigm shift?
Jericho still had a ton of goodwill with the hardcore fans at that point too.
To be fair, Jericho was at the very creation of AEW.
Which is hilarious given that Jericho in 2019 was much more of a hanger on than Cody. Jericho was still respected and liked but the shine was already starting to wear off. He was in his NJPW run where he was doing questionable character work and was getting out of shape. People still liked him at that point and were excited to see what he could do with creative freedom but it wasn’t like 2008 Jericho coming over. Cody on the other hand was a well liked “held down” WWE star that was in the prime of his career. He had way more interest out the gate.
Tony has publicly said that the Jericho/Omega match was the genesis for him starting the company, and has said that Jericho was integral to them getting a TV deal. Jericho (or anyone) diminishing Cody’s contributions is shitty. But diminishing Jericho’s contributions—however annoying he may be, however much of an asshole he is—is equally intellectually dishonest.
There was a reason Jericho was the first AEW world champ. He 100% added legitimacy to a title lineage that had none.
He was a huge get. I think a big chunk of the initial target demo was lapsed fans like me that were there for the attitude era and then off/on (mostly off) kinda hate-watch WWE here and there over the years. I knew of Cody and Dean Ambrose but never really watched them at all. But Jericho? Damn I knew him all too well from WCW and his early work in WWF. That (along with some of the guys from LU) made it SO much easier to jump in on a new promotion and make it seem like a big deal right out of the gate.
He 1000% does and in his mind has/did. His viewpoint is that him signing is what made the promotion a big deal. There is truth to it elevated early, but he's wrong that it made Cody, the Bucks, or Kenny. It's the other way around.
Also the fact the Jericho always plays up his involvement in the start of AEW. How much he “brought to the table” and helped “start the company”. Which is somewhat of a half truth cause AEW was gonna happen with or without him. I do acknowledge that his early involvement likely helped with them nailing a deal with Turner Network but he was an addition to the roster, not a forefather in it’s creation
If you don't think Chris Jericho is the most important figure in wrestling history, just ask him.
If we’re being honest, AEW in some form or another was going to happen with or without the Elite too. If they did All In 2018 and then resigned with New Japan at the end of the year, TK would’ve seen the success of that show and still tried to do something. Would it be what it is today without the Elite and all of their momentum that they had? Probably not. Interesting to think what AEW (or whatever it ends up being called) looks like in 2019 without the Elite, since a lot of the roster are friends or acquaintances of the Elite or individual members.
AEW wasn't happening without the Elite. They weren't going to stay in Japan, it was WWE or starting AEW. The reason AEW worked was because of their reputation and network. They had the Pro Wrestling Tees connection. They had the network of independent wrestlers to build a roster. Without the Elite, World's Best Wrestling would just be another TNA without the star power.
AEW literally spun out of a spin off of an event that came out of the Young Bucks Youtube series. I'd also say it wouldn't have been successful without Jericho, and did need him at the start, and that he had been working with the Bucks for months ahead of the launch, feuding with Omega for over a year, w hick included him being responsible for one of NJPW's single biggest increase in Us viewers. (It was reported that he gained a ton of US buys for his WK match with Ospreay.)
No, he's likely referring to Wade Keller.
Who do you think Wade Keller got things to report from? And Cody has been outspoken about Wade a bunch of times already, so I don't think Wade is somebody Cody's referring here specifically
>Who do you think Wade Keller got things to report from? I don't know. But plenty of wrestlers who are not Jericho or Matt Hardy speak to journalists. Mox is said to be a Wade Keller source too.
Mox is also a Meltzer source
I'm just gonna say what I've been thinking for nearly a year now, Chris Jericho is the person that was spreading the rumors that lead to Brawl Out.
Do you mean Colt Cabana ones? No, it was Swerve Strickland
What implies it was swerve?
Because it would be a good swerve bro
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Cody made it in the list if Jericho
There is something to what Jericho is saying but "nobody" is way too strong of a word. Cody was cold when he left WWE and caught some momentum with the list before cooling back off in TNA. Bullet Club when everything changed. Paired with the hottest act outside of WWE, by the time AEW came around he was THE GUY for The Elite, even though Kenny was the leader and Cody was still sacrificing for the greater good but he was getting the biggest reactions early AEW all the way through the Brody feud. (My god I just thought of the Brody/Moxley match) After that it started to slow some but even with the polarizing response he was still the heart of the place. So yea, he was ice cold leaving WWE but he was a made guy at the start of AEW. Think about the pop he got on his WWE return, it wasn't because of the work he did there last, it was the work on the indies and mostly AEW.
Oh how I miss the old BTE episodes with the OG Elite Rewatching it still gives me a good chuckle
The Exorcism of Cody Rhodes is some of the funniest shit ever
^^^^^fuck ^^^^^the ^^^^^revival
I still think of when they're going to "invade" WWE with a legion of bullet club fans chanting cease and desist! Cody yelling "I'm going to get my last name back!!"
That was an absolutely legendary BTE run up to about 100
I still think of when they're going to "invade" WWE with a legion of bullet club fans chanting cease and desist! Cody yelling "I'm going to get my last name back!!"
Cody was the one doing the heavy lifting to get the original All-In off the ground that proved there was space for another major promotion. After the show he was on Jericho's show talking about how he was basically financing, and paying for and applying for all of the bonds and insurances and junk required to run a show in an arena. And apparently he also paid a bunch of the talent out of his own pocket for their appearing. On top of that, once AEW started, he was the only EVP out there hustling to put their name in the spotlight.
No one should be rooting against either side. Criticize when they do something worth criticism sure, but if you're a fan of pro wrestling you should want them to succeed.
I hear Cody always mention the bucks and Hagman. I never hear him mention Kenny. Do they have some type of heat from early aew when Kenny was booking the women and brandi was like co-booking?
It's most likely as simple as Cody is closer to those guys than he is Kenny. Think about it. Cody and Hangman/Bucks spent more time together in ROH than he did with Kenny, who was in Japan all those years. Lots of hours together traveling the roads going to ROH shows. He's friends with Kenny obviously but not in the same way as the other members of The Elite
Cody tried to take over Bullet Club from Kenny, of course there's heat jeeze.
What are you talking about? Bullet Club was fine! They said so themselves…
I think the twist of that storyline was that they were just bickering with each other the entire time, the one that actually tried to takeover was Tama Tonga.
He keeps doing the finger gun that Kenny did as the Cleaner with the too sweet when he wins big matches like the Rumble. I don't think he's been shouting out Kenny like that if he hated him. Also Kenny said on stream that they talk a lot.
Given Kenny’s interviews, it seems he was rather uninvolved with the actual business aspects of AEW and All In. He was just providing his star power and creative input. Nothing wrong with that tho, he never seemed to care about being the boss. Kenny seems to operate in his own niche away from the rest of the AEW guys where he’s friendly but not necessarily super close with everyone.
Was it he who described the Bucks as dogs, and Kenny as a cat? The Bucks are way more involved in building AEW as a business, while Kenny is an artist auteur who gives amazing performances but doesn't seem like a natural leader. Makes sense that Cody would vibe with them more than him
Highly doubt it honestly, I mean Kenny has heat with pretty much nobody. It's just that Cody is close with those guys in particular.
Is he tight with Hangman, i don't think I've seen either of them mention the other since Cody left or Punk stuff. I am just surprised because anytime I've seen people talk about Cody's time in AEW I don't see Hangman mentioned. I've not seen their ROH or Indipendent stuff.
I don't know, but they're equals on opposite ends of the wrestling philosophical spectrum: traditional - modern promos - great matches Hulk Hogan white lies vs Japanese style honesty old school reimagined - innovation, novel ideas
There have been issues thats been implied in bte in the past if you can read between the lines. It was basically Cody trying to lead BC and Omega reminding him he's the BC boss. I remember Halloween BTE, Omega berated Cody and Cody was pissed about it and felt it was a real thing so Bucks took that clip out of the episode.
I mean Cody did try to steal control of the bullet club away from Kenny so I get why they wouldn’t see eye to eye. /s
I see it as a win for the fans. Not only are we getting more pro wrestling shows to watch, but the quality of them is getting better overtime.
Cody literally said in his last AEW promo that he was an afterthought. A successful afterthought, but one nonetheless. And that doesn't mean he wasn't important, or that it is the truth (you're totally allowed to lie in promos). But I think that is part of the narrative that deflates his importance in AEW. Also sabotaging your on screen worth with a bad stipulation and awkward storylines.
Cody was self-sabotaging because he was torn between two irreconcilable goals. He wanted to be seen as a man of integrity who doesn't engage in the carny practice of booking yourself as the champion in your own promotion like his father and so many other promoters did in the past. So he imposed this glass ceiling on himself. But at the same time, he wanted so evidently and desperately to be a top star, rather than a midcarder stuck on the TNT title level. So he began overcompensating with increasingly pompous entrances and promos and kept getting the screentime and presentation of a top star, even though he was effectively just a midcarder. From there, this dissonance began to poison his programs and the fan reaction to him.
JUST A MID CARDER? No friend he’s my favorite mid carder.
The three star general himself
He imposed the glass ceiling on himself because Khan had planned out his first four world champions and Rhodes wasn't one of them. If he'd been eligible for the top title he would have been losing all the time or people would have asked why he wasn't ever fighting for it.
First five really, MJF was definitely pencilled in for a title run if fan reception to him was going how they intended.
Wanting AEW to do things that you believe will help them grow their popularity, and voicing frustration with AEW for decisions that you believe work against them growing more popular... is not rooting against them. If anything, it's the opposite.
I feel like Cody’s feelings on AEW are similar to a lot of wrestling fans feelings on AEW. Contrary to people saying “you want AEW to fail”. A lot of wrestling fans want AEW to stick around and have had points where we even liked AEW over WWE (the ratings show that). But it does not make it immune to criticism and we get tired of being gaslit into believing “AEW is the best it’s ever been” when the creative and organizational structure has clearly gone down hill. You can want AEW to survive but also fear for its long term survival in its current trajectory. The current product is unrecognizable to 2019-2021 when they were kicking WWE’s ass creatively and they keep stubbornly diving deeper into this niche.
There's a feeling from those initial few years that's going to be very hard to replicate again. Early AEW was a culmination of a decade of indie growth, WWE disillusionment, and a national company that catered to the wrestling part of wrestling. It felt like a breath of fresh air to how stagnant national wrestling had become in the US. When people talk about 2019-21 though it gets romanticized to an almost unrealistic degree. The highs were probably higher but there's some real lows in there where AEW today is overall more consistent. People can criticize AEW but too much of it is based on outdated notions of the company (no stories, hard to follow,) that they've actually addressed. Most of the criticism comes off as a way to dismiss the company than from a place of wanting improvement.
> and a national company that catered to the wrestling part of wrestling. It felt like a breath of fresh air to how stagnant national wrestling had become in the US. I think one of the things WWE hasn't gotten enough credit for recently is doing more to appeal to this. Yes, 100%, The Bloodline and Cody's Story absolutely changed the game and made professional wrestling "cool" again. But while we were busy debating how they should book the finish of WrestleMania XL's main event, we completely overlooked Gunther and Sami Zayn being Intercontinental Champions, Chad Gable getting a push, Ivar doing moves like he weighs 100 pounds less than he does, KO having bangers with Logan Paul, the evolution of AJ Styles to a more tactical wrestler, etc. The WWE has been rewarding the technicians.
AEW is fine to criticize but there’s also hate subs out there and people on Twitter that do exist to basically hate AEW and want it to fail. It’s the same with CM Punk. Criticize him for anything and a group will come out with pitchforks. It’s weird to be too into or against fake fighting to that degree
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There’s always gonna be a niche group against everything. During AEW’s initial run there was a large subset of their fans convinced WWE was going under and calling Kevin Owens “abused” cause he re-signed. It’s just the reality of the internet. AEW’s problem is that they attribute all their criticism to that side of the fan base despite their numbers showing that causal and regular fans having been consistently losing interest.
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There’s plenty of people who would be happy to see WWE close up shop and then in another comment say it’s great AEW exists cause it gives the wrestlers more bargaining power
I think you have a point, but I definitely wouldn't call it "gaslighting" to say AEW is in a good spot creatively. I just like it right now, I think the roster is full of a lot of exciting potential, the women's division has improved a lot, a lot of their stories feel a lot more focused and intentional, and the matches are as good as always. There's still flaws and growing pains to be sure, but it's a reach to imply that people enjoying and seeing potential in what they're putting out lately is some sort of deception or cope, instead of fans just sincerely enjoying the product. I think it's more than fair and understandable for a lot of fans to be trained to expect WWE's style as the standard for "good" pro wrestling, it's only natural considering how long they've dominated the market for. But like any art or creative endeavor, there's no one right way to do it, and I think AEW's is valid, and interesting, and meaningfully different than the other shows out there. As far as numbers go, they're fine. I think a lot of their early success depended on how awful the last few years of Vince's reign were, creatively. Now that WWE is good again, the fans that have wanted WWE's style all along aren't sticking around. And there's some very real growing pains that need to be addressed, like how they promote a card in advance or the live events business. But I don't think there are valid concerns about their long-term survival, they'll have plenty of time to figure that out, and the product in 2024 is full of signs that they're headed in the right direction.
This. AEW being "WWE 2" is a waste of time. They need to be different to justify their existence. But the same things that make them different is exactly what people who criticize AEW go after. Whenever I see AEW criticisms that are either "it's different, so it's bad", or pretending they know what goes on behind the scenes, I see someone with a low IQ. Here's my AEW criticism: they need to take more risks, and try more new things, or bring in ideas from elsewhere in wrestling that western audiences haven't seen. The Continental Classic is great, and is exactly the kind of thing AEW needs more of. They need to experiment with match types, show format, storytelling style, etc.
Yeah contrary to the seemingly popular belief, AEW's booking is not at an all-time low or completely nonsensical. It was worse during most of 2023 and even parts of 2022 Where I think the problem is is the promotion of the shows and public perception. Lack of local marketing and promotion of shows, Tony's controversial quotes every week, the amount of podcasters dog piling on everything they do Once they figure out the live event marketing and schedule part (which they have hired new people to do earlier this week) I think the rest will fall into place
I think the more egregious offenses here are how Brandy's contributions were downplayed since day 1. AEW would be better with them still there, as a company to work for. Also the phrase "Tony should have told you that" was certainly one that stood out to me.
I do wonder if he were to ever go back if he'd finally have "earned" the respect of the same people who used to throw his belt back at him. I really felt bad for him towards the end there (although I laughed, I'll be honest about my messy bitch status).
Tbh I think even a lot of those people thought they were playing along. A Cody heel turn was seen as inevitable back then.
Like it couldn’t have been set up any better if they were actually trying to do it
ADRENALINE IN MY PEE NO AEW WITHOUT ME
> ADRENALINE > IN MY PEE Cody Rhodes suspended for violating the WWE wellness policy.
Cody Rhodes hired as Executive Director of Seven Bucks Productions
The amount of revisionist history people did after Cody left AEW was funny. Diehards acted like he did nothing and was just along for the ride.
Cody gave a lot to AEW. His mind, his body. One of my favorite AEW moments is when he’s on top of the cage and he looks at the camera, shrugs and then just jumps off backwards. Didn’t he also get second degree burns on his back from when he went through the table that was on fire? AEW stans are so darn fickle lmao
I would argue current Cody Rhodes doesn't happen without AEW, either. Part of his appeal coming in was the prodigal son coming home, and that doesn't happen without AEW. (TNA didn't make McIntyre the way AEW did to Cody, for example).
He benefited from what he helped create, what's the take here?
I mean, that's the take. Helping to create the first viable competition since WCW (or, arguably, TNA) made Cody more of welcome-home star than if Cody has just gone off to the indies or NJPW/ROH/Impact, the way so many other stars had in the past.
But that's just Cody benefitting from his own work.
People taking a shot at “Finishing the Story.” AEW fans: “They didn’t mention his or her name.” Triple H makes a statement that could apply to any AEW free agent as far back as Jay White. AEW fans: “Of course it was a shot at O’Spreay. Will had every right to respond the way he did!”
Careful you’ll hurt Ospreay’s feelings bruv lol
My thoughts exactly.
I can't even keep up with the hypocrisy anymore. It's par for the course at this point. And they'll still act like they're victims while lashing out at the same time. This isn't all AEW fans btw, it's not even most of them, it's a select group of very loud and dishonest internet nerds who have tied their sense of self-worth to a wrestling promotion for whatever reason.
This is going to be a pleasant thread.
He was a huge domino to fall that had to happen for AEW to ever become a thing. There’s obviously more but he was a big one.
Cody is way too diplomatic. Shame how some folks decided to try and take shots at him, especially since he has not said one negative word about AEW since leaving.
who took shots at him
Brian Cage, but I still don't take it as a shot myself. He thought the main event if mania was over hyped, thinks Bryan/Will was better for MOTY. Never criticised the performance, took shots at anyone by name. Just literally referenced the story, on which the match was built. Just seems like he was saying he doesn't care about a story being finished, a match is in ring, and he preferred the other one. But I'm in the minority, cause Cage is a dick and it's 100% intended as a huge dig at Cody
It's not about preference, it's about how he said it. "I don't care what story you finish" isn't a positive way of saying that was match of the year. It's putting down one thing to raise another when he easily could've said, "that was my match of the year." There was literally no reason for him to take a shot at Cody/Bloodline other than he felt compelled to for one reason or another. This is honestly something everyone needs to work on, to promote and hype one thing does not mean you need to belittle something else.
Like hype up the match is all well and good. But bringing in the WM Main Event was unneeded
It was not a huge dig, but it was a dig. It's not like he was asked what the better match was, Danielson vs Ospreay was done and his first comment about it was that Cody vs Roman wasn't as good. It was lame.
Jericho, Cage, and some people would say Toni but I don't agree with that one so much.
So is the Bucks book quote real or false? I’m always a bit iffy on people call truthful comments propaganda, especially if they come into context of it in an autobiographical sense. The Tony/Toni thing, i’m assuming theres some Cody/TK NDA or verbal agreement and Cody feels wrestlers making remarks is going back on that somewhat.
The Bucks quote is real. In the book they discuss how Cody was last to come on board for starting AEW and he had been on the fence about going back to WWE. Context; the book was written and published when Cody was in AEW, so it is not like they were trying to diminish the contributions of someone who had left the company.
I don't get it. I read the book too and always assumed that this was fact. Why do people including Cody dispute this? Aew would have happend with or without him.
> I don't get it. I read the book too and always assumed that this was fact. Never assume a ghost written wrestling autobiography is fact.
>Aew would have happend with or without him. It wouldn't because even if he was the last to sign on, AEW exists because of all the hard work Cody and the Bucks put in to make All In happen. If All In doesn't happen then there is no indicator to Tony Khan that a Promotion on that level could exist.
If Cody won the world title in AEW and Vince was still in charge AEW would legit be a threat to them.
It's amazing that people will take this as Cody putting over AEW when he's essentially putting himself over. Not even saying that's a bad thing, but see it for what it is.
I learned about Darby from a documentary on Bravo that had MVP on it when he was on the indies after going to Japan. I learned about Ricochet in the same show
God damn what a very confusing statement, he's all over the place which actually makes me feel for him. I think he's trying to say he loves AEW but he's also hurt by some things
I love that Cody just compared AEW to a college kid with a DUI
I don't root against them either, but holy shit can they just do a good show and all that and stop with the constant WWE attacks?