Why Cody Rhodes Leaving Is Best For AEW

10. The Salary It Frees Up

Tony Khan has talked recently and regularly about how AEW is in the process of cutting back on any new signings that the promotion could make.

Having snapped up a whole bunch of free agents across the past couple of years, Khan is at a point where his roster is full to the brim with talent to compete in his men's division, women's division, and the tag team ranks. In addition to the sheer number of people now under the employ of AEW, there is also the fact that, regardless of the vast wealth of himself and his father, Tony does not have an endless amount of money to throw at AEW.

As with any business, AEW has a fiscal responsibility to work within certain financial constraints that make the organisation a viable, sustainable and eventually profitable company. On that front, losing Cody and Brandi Rhodes frees up a major chunk of money that can now be distributed elsewhere.

The general consensus is that Cody was on an annual salary of $3 million in AEW, with Brandi on as much as $2 million per annum. Whichever way you look at it, that's a lot of money and a significant financial commitment that AEW was tied to.

Sure, such salaries can be traded-off against the merchandise sales and product interest the Rhodes' generate, but freeing up such an amount gives AEW more financial freedom to bring in any further talent they see fit.