10 Times AEW's Cody Rhodes Broke The Internet
2. The Unfinished TNT Championship
There's perhaps no more contentious subject for wrestling fans than championship belt design. WWE, NJPW, and the like can't so much as debut a title without audiences denouncing the new design as uglier than a monkey's armpit and acting as if the sky is falling. Sometimes wrestling promotions can't win.
The debut of AEW's TNT Championship on 23 May at Double or Nothing was no exception. Sure, the belt had no plating, yet commentator Tony Schiavone explained in no uncertain terms that production had been delayed as a result of the ongoing global bastard, and the completed version would be revealed at a later time.
Yet for a slew of wrestling fans, that just wasn't enough. Cody's impressive victory over Lance Archer was overshadowed by the disapproval towards the unfinished belt. And as inaugural TNT Champion, Cody regularly became the butt of these jokes. Did you not hear Schiavone? It wasn't finished.
With the unveiling of the completed design in August, audiences were treated to the TNT Championship in all its glory. Now in his second reign, Cody can focus on being champion, rather than deflecting a barrage of criticism over his belt.