Cody Rhodes On AEW's Signing Spree: "You Can't Wish Away Good Talent"

The AEW Executive Vice President speaks on adding to AEW's rapidly growing roster.

Cody Rhodes
AEW

Yesterday saw AEW wrestler and Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes host a media call ahead of tonight's Homecoming episode of Dynamite, which features his hotly-anticipated match with newcomer Malakai Black.

Black, along with the likes of Andrade El Idolo, is one of several wrestlers to be picked up by AEW in 2021, despite its rapidly growing talent roster. When asked about AEW continuing to sign new wrestlers while its talent pool is still growing, Rhodes answered with the following (h/t Comic Book's Connor Casey):-

"I tell a lot of my peers in wrestling and people I use as a sounding board, I always tell them, 'you can't wish away good talent,' especially when you get in a groove as a talent yourself. And it's not unlike the world that Tony [Khan] comes from already, the world of the NFL and football in the UK. If there's a free agent out there that can move the needle and be something significant for us... personally, I think you have to go after them. Does that change the landscape of the show and the roster? For sure, but that's one of those things where as much as things can get personal, it is business. And no one is immune from that."

That AEW's roster may be growing "too big" is a common concern across the internet, though it doesn't sound like something Rhodes is concerned about for now.

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Big-name free agents Daniel Bryan and CM Punk are expected to arrive in the promotion imminently. On top of this, AEW's reported interest in people like Buddy Murphy, who was released by WWE earlier this year, is well documented.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

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.