10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Cody Rhodes
2. Forming The Competition
Much of the current competitive landscape in American wrestling can be attributed to Cody Rhodes, who was an instrumental figure in AEW's 2019 formation.
Rhodes reinvented himself alongside Bullet Club in Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Tied to fellow forward-thinkers Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, he was a foundational AEW figure, shaping its direction as an Executive Vice President and active competitor until his shocking 2022 departure.
Onscreen, Rhodes' acclaimed Chris Jericho program put Tony Khan's promotion and its World Championship on the map. Cody emerged as a ratings draw, using his star power to give rising stars Ricky Starks, Darby Allin, and countless others the rub. And while his final AEW year was uneven and chaotic, that Rhodes was able to remain one of the most talked-about figures in wrestling spoke to his importance to the scene.
Without AEW, Cody Rhodes doesn't receive the pop of a generation at WrestleMania 38. And without Cody Rhodes, it's unlikely that AEW makes such a huge dent in the US wrestling marketplace, rattling WWE even today, when the gap between the two promotions has unquestionably widened.