6 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (27 Oct)

2. Cody Comes Down To Earth

Cody Rhodes Arn Anderson
AEW

"I hear you" was the key message of last night's Cody Rhodes segment, which saw the former TNT Champion reassert that he wasn't going to turn heel in a promo met with his usual reception - only louder.

That the face/heel conversation is so prevalent with The American Nightmare is interesting, given that he has always walked out from between the two tunnels designated for these alignments, but it continues - and he is leaning into it. Rhodes explicitly stated that he wasn't going to turn here. He tried to put over his love for the fans, his family, The Nightmare Family, and Arn Anderson for the boisterous crowd, whom he pandered to. It's an interesting route to take. If nothing else, Rhodes is aware of what's going on and while he cannot swim against half a tide forever, this promo shows that he is plugged in.

The ill-fitting heel alliance of Andrade El Idolo and Malakai Black is what harshes all this. Beyond having a mutual enemy in Rhodes, the duo have nothing in common. There isn't a thing about their respective characters that makes them a believable alliance, so while the chalk and cheese pairing will likely have a good match with Rhodes and PAC (who made the save here), it's difficult to buy into.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.