The wrestling internet is abuzz right now with the news that Cody Rhodes has left AEW, just a few years after he basically helped launch the entire promotion from the ground up. And not just leaving AEW, but also tons of reports about how he’s on the track to returning to the WWE, the promotion that AEW’s cult-minded fans basically think is the antichrist.
Initially, I thought that this could be the start of some elaborate work, but as the last few days have progressed, it’s seemingly like it really is legitimate; unless this too is some Uber-meta working going on, designed to swerve all wrestling fans into oblivion, but as scuttlebutt keeps trickling, this is seemingly not likely.
But when it really comes down to it, I have to say that I’m more surprised that today’s average wrestling fans are actually surprised by this at all. This is where I’d like to think that I’m wiser and smarter than today’s wrestling fans which isn’t saying that much but I did used to call myself The Oracle among my friends, based on how good I was at predicting wrestling bullshit, but the reality is that I’ve just watched and witnessed a lot of professional wrestling in my lifetime, and there just seemed to be a lot of common patterns and scenarios, and on a long enough timeline, nothing is original or unique and history repeats itself all the time.
When AEW started taking off, I actually made some predictions on which former WWE guys on the roster would eventually make their way back to WWE after some time in AEW. Chris Jericho, for sure will be in a WWE ring again at some point in his career, as will guys like Shawn Spears, Mark Henry, Big Show, to name a few. But one guy I didn’t hesitate one bit with was Cody Rhodes, regardless of his standing, position and contributions towards the creation of AEW.
All it took was two episodes of Dynamite, and I stated to varying friends that I could 100% see Cody Rhodes going back to the WWE. It was just a feeling I had, and maybe it was all the times I’d seen Chris Jericho return to the WWE that fed this hunch, but I just knew that Cody would probably end up back in the WWE himself at some point, no matter how much he meant or accomplished with AEW.
The initial thought process was that in spite of the fact that Cody was a VP of the company, along with Kenny Omega, and Nick and Matt Jackson, the four of those wrestlers were very different personalities. Whereas Cody clearly had a mind, hungry for the business side of the industry, Omega and Bucks were still too busy circle-jerking over inside jokes and spending way too much time trying to create YouTube content instead of running a company. Eventually, these approaches to running AEW would clash and when it comes down to it, it’s three versus one.
There’s been plenty of speculation about rifts and disagreements between the VPs of the company, as well as Tony Khan’s stripping of power from all of them, and I basically said that a time would eventually come where Cody would get tired of all the bullshit of running a company, and would probably prefer to just be a performer, focus on wrestling and make WWE money in the process.
And here we are, just a few years removed from the birth of AEW, and Cody Rhodes has walked away, and appears to be on the fast track back to the WWE.
The thing about the WWE is that there is a 100% never-say-never attitude when it comes to talent returning to the fold. It doesn’t matter how much anti-WWE shit a guy spews in another promotion, or if they say racist shit (Hulk Hogan), or even admitting to incest and murder (Marty Janetty), if a guy can bring interest, eyes, fans and money to the company, the WWE will open their arms.
Cody Rhodes helping launch the WWE’s most prominent rival since WCW has little bearing on the WWE’s decision to bring him in, because Cody still won titles in the NWA, Ring of Honor, New Japan and AEW since his last departure from the company, so in the spirit of raising one’s own stock and value, Cody has accomplished that.
Sure, I think his ceiling back in the WWE will be no higher than Christian after he came back from TNA, no matter how much creative ideas and influence he’s promised to get him to sign back up, but Cody Rhodes returning to the WWE is a big deal, big name, and a guy with an impressive resume and not just Dusty Rhodes’ kid anymore.
Frankly, anyone who didn’t see this coming at some point is either just too young, hasn’t watched enough wrestling in their lives, or maybe I really am just that more insightful and observant to the industry than other people are. But Cody going back to the WWE was about as much of a layup as Wilt Chamberlain playing hoops in his own era.
