Cody Rhodes: 10 Legacy Moments In AEW
5. Making Mr. Brodie Lee
Not many would ever believe that Cody Rhodes would be involved in a squash match in his AEW tenure. His reputation for being the one that goes over, not the one that puts a talent over preceded the American Nightmare coming into this match, and audiences worldwide were stunned at the speed and brutality in which Rhodes was dethroned.
After being revealed as The Exalted One, the former Luke Harper - Mr. Brodie Lee was one of the talents that fans were most excited about after jumping from WWE. Rising through the ranks quickly and becoming a favourite of AEW crowds, Lee became one of the must-see characters on Dynamite.
There can be no doubt that Cody’s destruction at the hands of Lee, and the post-match beatdown truly made Lee a star in the company, however, it was in defeat where Lee was given a bigger shine by Rhodes.
The follow-up dog collar match on the July 10th 2020 episode of Dynamite was one of the most vicious matches in AEW history and one which further put over Brodie Lee as a dominant star in the company. Compared to classics featuring Greg Valentine and Roddy Piper on commentary by Jim Ross. Despite losing to Rhodes, the bloody Lee gained more in defeat to the American Nightmare than he would have done by winning. It is truly sad that Lee passed at what was a peak of his career.