10 Shocking AEW Plans You Won't Believe Almost Happened

4. Cody Rhodes Leading A ‘Heel Supergroup’

Bray Wyatt WWE AEW
AEW

Remember The Pinnacle? It was a faction formed by MJF with FTR, Wardlow, Shawn Spears and Tully Blanchard. The stable came together in March 2021, but was ancient history by that June. Overall, it was a disappointment. Pinnacle wasn't what Dax Harwood had in mind originally anyway. Nope, he wanted a group with Cody Rhodes.

Or, to be more accurate, a bad ass heel group with Cody Rhodes.

Both FTR members pitched teaming with Cody and Brock Anderson. Arn and Tully Blanchard would've been their managers, and the plan was to let young Brock learn from some top workers before striking out on his own. There was just one problem with the whole layout: Rhodes didn't want to turn heel and be the leader.

Cody shot the idea down, and that's when the basic framework for Pinnacle was put into place instead. AEW fans will recall that Rhodes was already hearing scattered boos by 2021, so going full-on villain would've met that pushback head on.

He wasn't game.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.