New Backstage Details On Cody & Brandi Rhodes' AEW Departures
Everything you need to know about the locker room's reaction to the Rhodes/AEW split.
Yesterday brought surprising news in the form of Cody and Brandi Rhodes' AEW departures, with the couple failing to come to terms on new contracts with the promotion they helped found in January 2019 - and WWE expected to make a play for their services.
In breaking the story prior to AEW's official announcement, Fightful stated that by last Friday evening, several people within the promotion were of the belief that Cody, at least, was on his way out. When enquiries on his status were fielded directly over the weekend, Cody claimed they were spun.
Cody had informed several people who spoke to him during this period that he loved working for AEW and Tony Khan. He downplayed the situation, claiming he was simply negotiating with the company.
WWE personnel knew of the situation prior to AEW's announcement that Cody and Brandi had left the promotion. They had been informed that the Tony Khan-helmed promotion would be making a statement by 10 AM EST on Tuesday, which turned out to be the case.
When the Rhodes weren't at last week's AEW tapings in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the locker room started speculating. Prior to this, many within the company had wondered if Cody's tricky contractual situation (his original three-year AEW deal reportedly expired in December) was a work, though they all realised that it wasn't in the end. By Friday, it was clear a new deal wasn't going to be agreed upon.
As the Rhodes' AEW deals expired in December, they shouldn't be bound to any kind of non-compete clause. This means they could theoretically show up in another promotion immediately.