5 Things That Could Be Tony Khan’s HUGE Announcement On AEW Dynamite

3. Cody Rhodes Brings The Heat?

Shane McMahon AEW
AEW

Cody Rhodes is playing a mischief-maker currently, to…mixed results.

If you stand back and survey the long-term direction, he’s putting over the correct people AEW is building for the long-haul (MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara), a plan that requires him to win for it to mean anything - but week-to-week, that picture becomes muddied. Is there a point, a purpose, to Cody’s character work other than driving interest in Cody himself?

Yes. Sammy Guevara’s TNT Title reign was resuscitated by Cody’s undeniable big match star aura.

This won’t do much to appease his critics, who are aghast that the top wrestling star and notable draw defeats strategically chosen opponents to make his rub actually mean something. That Cody Rhodes is such an egomaniac. He just defeated QT Marshall! Twice! The nerve of the man!

Whether it’s ultimately worth riling up that section of the audience or not, Cody is going to do it anyway - and he might troll them even harder tonight in the pursuit of heat, brother.

He is, technically, a free agent. They’d miss him when he goes - because the man is sensational at putting people f*cking over - but for now, some fans wouldn’t mind if he did. His doing the opposite of that, and in the process ruining their fantasy booking pipe dreams, would be a sensational bit. They’d hate him all the more, which would make it even more cathartic when - yes! - he puts over the next babyface project over.

A certain cold-hearted handsome devil, for example.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!