Cody & Brandi Rhodes not returning to AEW

[cero2k]

Src: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/cody ... ing-to-aew

AEW executive vice president Cody Rhodes and his wife, Brandi, will not be returning to the company they helped found.

Rhodes announced the news on Twitter Tuesday morning:



Brandi, the company's chief brand officer, then released the following:



AEW head Tony Khan released his own statement via the company's Twitter account:



The surprising news comes as Cody is currently on two WarnerMedia-owned programs in Go Big Show and Rhodes to the Top, the latter being a reality show featuring the couple and behind-the-scenes happenings in AEW that was just picked up for a second season.

Speculation will now lead to whether Rhodes will return to WWE, the company he requested a release from in May 2016 and that he has been critical of since leaving.

On the most recent Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that there had been increased speculation from both locker rooms as to where Rhodes would land. He said that when the initial story broke about Rhodes being a free agent, he thought it was a minimal possibility Rhodes wouldn't return to AEW but he wouldn't say that as of last night.

Meltzer said Rhodes returning to WWE was "definitely something talked about...in certain circles about the potential of something happening."

Rhodes' AEW deal expired at the end of December and he even noted that he was working without a deal in a promo leading up to his TNT title unification bout with Sammy Guevara, quipping the match contract was not the one he was expecting to receive in the mail.

Rhodes was granted his request for a release by WWE in May 2016. He re-invented himself on the indies and then Ring of Honor, Impact and New Japan Pro Wrestling before founding AEW with Khan, Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and others.

He wrestled just once this year, losing to Guevara in that January 26th match. It was originally to take place earlier in January, but Rhodes had to pull out due to an undisclosed medical situation.

As of now, it's unknown what the barriers were between the 36-year-old and Khan on getting a deal done.

Dustin Rhodes, however, will be staying put:

[cero2k]

I really hope someone records the conversation when Triple H asks him about all that throne breaking stuff.

I guess we don't know if they're going to WWE, but I'm already dreading all the Vincels going into a circlejerk about it

[XIV]

I really hope someone records the conversation when Triple H asks him about all that throne breaking stuff.

I guess we don't know if they're going to WWE, but I'm already dreading all the Vincels going into a circlejerk about it

I don't think Triple H is going to be too much of a factor in any WWE decision right now!

I'm hoping they just leave wrestling all together, it's clear they don't want to be in it, they want to be TV presenters and personalities that's all.

[cero2k]

I'm hoping they just leave wrestling all together, it's clear they don't want to be in it, they want to be TV presenters and personalities that's all.

they really should, they have two shows already

[Big Red Machine]

I really hope someone records the conversation when Triple H asks him about all that throne breaking stuff.

I guess we don't know if they're going to WWE

Crazy conspiracy theory time: they're leaving AEW and Hunter and Steph leave WWE because these four think their names alone in a mixed tag cal sell out a stadium.

I don't actually think that's what's going on... but I wouldn't be completely shocked, either

[cero2k]

Crazy conspiracy theory time: they're leaving AEW and Hunter and Steph leave WWE because these four think their names alone in a mixed tag cal sell out a stadium.

But on who's side is 'Free Agent' Shane McMahon!?

Someone get me Jeff Jarrett on the phone, let's put those Global Force Gold moneys to use!

[Big Red Machine]

UPDATE

https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2022/02/15 ... departure/

Former AEW star Cody Rhodes WWE bound, EVPs reaction to his departure

By Sean Radican, PWTorch Columinst (Twitter: @SR_Torch)

February 15, 2022


On the latest episode of the PWTorch VIP Keller’s Focus On AEW podcast posted earlier this afternoon, PWTorch editor Wade Keller cited sources indicating that Cody Rhodes is heading to WWE in the near future.

Keller reported that Rhodes will soon sign a big money contract with WWE and he will get a big push during WrestleMania season from Vince McMahon. PWTorch has confirmed that Cody is a free agent without a non-compete clause and is able to appear on WWE TV immediately once he signs his deal.

One WWE source tells PWTorch that he believes Vince wanted to sign Cody in part to show WWE could outbid AEW. AEW had won the services over Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole, both of whom were extended nice offers by WWE before they left.

Keller reports that one of the sticking points that lead to Cody leaving AEW was that he wanted to be paid more, in line with top wrestlers such as big free agent signings Bryan Danielson and C.M. Punk, but Tony Khan was unwilling to offer him that kind of money to stay in AEW as an EVP and talent. Cody made an on-air reference on Dynamite last month to not being happy with the contract offer Tony gave him during his time of being a free agent.

PWTorch and other sources have reported that there had been a lot of in-fighting between Cody, The Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega during a long span of AEW’s existence. Sources close to the EVPs note to PWTorch today that the tension between them had calmed for some time now and they had been getting along well lately. Those sources also noted that Cody told the other EVPs he was unhappy two weeks ago. The EVPs all thought that despite Rhodes voicing that he was unhappy, that he would work out a deal with Tony and stay with AEW.

You can listen to Wade Kellers’s Focus on AEW podcast for an in-depth look at the reasons for Rhode’s departure from AEW, how he and Brandi were perceived behind the scenes, tons of details on Cody going to WWE and why Vince McMah0n is so excited to have him, and more. (CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO – Subscribe via credit card, Pay Pal, or Patreon)

[Big Red Machine]

SI reporting 1) loss of booking power led to departure, and 2) no Brandi in WWE

[cero2k]

SI reporting 1) loss of booking power led to departure, and 2) no Brandi in WWE

"loss of booking power"

goes to the one promotion where he'll have the least amount of booking power. I can't see Cody being another Galloway, but we'll see

[Thelone]

SI reporting 1) loss of booking power led to departure, and 2) no Brandi in WWE

"loss of booking power"

goes to the one promotion where he'll have the least amount of booking power. I can't see Cody being another Galloway, but we'll see

I might remember wrong, but I'm pretty sure Cody left ROH because they didn't want to give him the book. If he's going to end up without "booking power" or whatever no matter what, he might as well go back to the place with the most mainstream appeal.