Cody Rhodes / AEW Update: Possible Reasons Why He Left, Expected to Sign With WWE

Here are some notes from the fallout of Tuesday’s big news that Cody and Brandi Rhodes are leaving AEW.

Possible Reasons Why Cody Left

• According to Dave Meltzer, Cody had an option on his contract for at least one year and possibly two. This means that Tony Khan would have been able to exercise the option to bring back Cody but he chose not to when they couldn’t come to an agreement, Meltzer says.
• Negotiations between Cody and AEW “fell apart” on Monday and until then, most people in AEW weren’t aware that anything was up and assumed that he and Brandi were staying, Meltzer says. On Monday morning, “lawyers were involved working out the split,” Meltzer added.
• The main reason he left was because of money, PWInsider says. Multiple sources told them that Cody and Tony Khan “hit a snag” in negotiations for Cody’s contract over pay.
• One other reason was “unhappiness,” Meltzer said one source told him.
• A key factor was him losing all responsibilities involving booking, according to Sports Illustrated. Cody had more of a role in booking when AEW first started, but Tony Khan had since taken essentially full control, though wrestlers do have some creative freedom in their own programs. Sports Illustrated says that Cody saw the booking role as a chance to pay homage to his father Dusty, who was a booker as well as a wrestler, and “losing that opportunity in AEW hurt Rhodes more than any loss he suffered in the ring.”
• Though there had been talk in the past that Cody and the other AEW Executive Vice Presidents Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks weren’t getting along, in recent months they were said to have been getting along the best they have in a long time, according to Dave Meltzer. There had been some arguments and butting of heads in the past, but there was never a period where the EVPs weren’t talking, Meltzer added. However, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks were close personally, while their relationship with Cody was said to be more business-like.

WWE

• As of now, all signs point to Cody signing with WWE.
• WWE sources confirmed to PWInsider that they have had “contact” with Cody dating back to when his AEW contract expired at the end of 2021.
• He is free to appear on WWE TV immediately if he chooses. He could potentially even begin shooting segments with them at the Performance Center as early as this weekend, PWInsider says.
• Sports Illustrated claims that according to multiple sources, Brandi Rhodes is not expected to join Cody in WWE, which would be surprising since she also announced her departure from AEW at the same time as him.
• Dave Meltzer speculated on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE offered or will offer Cody a huge multi-million dollar deal, which AEW was not willing or able to match.

More Notes

• Cody will remain partners with QT Marshall at the Nightmare Factory wrestling school in Georgia, which is an interesting dynamic since several AEW wrestlers and prospects train there.
• “Rhodes to the Top” will not be going forward with a second season. There’s no word about “Go Big Show” yet.
• Cody was removed from the AEW Dynamite opening video on Wednesday’s episode.