10 Wrestlers AEW Has Already Made Better
2. Cody
The Cody Rhodes of today resembles a stronger performer than the one that left WWE in 2016. Whether he was always this good and merely lacked and opportunity to show it or he has genuinely grown is up for debate, though it's probably a blend of both.
But even if you were to make the argument that Cody, as a wrestler and personality, is no better than he was in 2016, that he comes off and is received as a bigger star is undeniable. 'The American Nightmare' has become AEW's ace. He is a hero to the thousands of fans he walks out to every week and while it shouldn't come as a surprise that his own promotion has presented him in such a positive light, that he feels like such a huge deal proves AEW's star-making prowess.
Compare Cody's aura and presence in his IWGP Championship matches with Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada to the man that steps through the ropes on Dynamite. You'll understand that the former Stardust has become a game-changer in this universe - something that may not have been possible elsewhere in the industry.