What Tony Khan REALLY Thinks Of Cody Rhodes' AEW Crowd Reactions

The loud mixed reactions Cody Rhodes is currently receiving from AEW crowds is exactly what the promotion wants.

This is according to company president and founder Tony Khan, who has claimed as much in an appearance on Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Wrestling Inc.):-

“It’s been a long time since it was the opposite of the intended reaction. I’ve known what the reaction is for a long time, and I think it’s very polarizing. It’s not all one side."

Khan continued, comparing Cody's current responses to those received by John Cena when he was at the height of his powers as WWE's divisive franchise player:-

"I think it’s a mix of the crowd, and it’s very similar to John (Cena) in terms of how you hear a split, and there’s a ton of women and kids that are huge fans and some of the guys booing, but people are still really buying Cody. And in the right moments, they do cheer him. And we saw that when he saved PAC from Malakai and Andrade. There was a huge Cody chant, and in that context, people were really excited to see him, and the truth is I do really think the people really like Cody. When John Cena was a full-time wrestler, he’s one of the all time great wrestling stars and people really liked to see him too.”

While it's hard to pinpoint the exact moment that Rhodes' once-partisan crowd reactions started souring, they have been becoming progressively more mixed all year, with live audiences split down the middle for his ongoing storyline with Malakai Black, Andrade El Idolo, and PAC. This has led to calls for him to perform a full-on heel turn, though Rhodes appears reticent to this idea.

Cody, who has never entered AEW arenas through the designated face or heel tunnel, has previously told PopCulture.com he would rather retire than turn:-

“This will disappoint so many and maybe it won’t, maybe this will excite, but two things I can guarantee you. And I’m not saying this to wave one hand while you’re not looking at the other. I’m telling this from the most honest standpoint, I am not going to turn heel on this company. And I would retire before I did that. Now I’m the head of the community outreach group. I have a little girl now. I’m not going to be doing heel stuff on TV.”

Given Khan's words, it looks like those still calling for a turn are going to have to accept the status quo.