Why Cody Rhodes Leaving Is Best For AEW
The American Nightmare's departure needn't be as big a blow as some would think.
In one of the most shocking wrestling stories of recent years, Cody and Brandi Rhodes have now departed All Elite Wrestling.
With Cody a founding father and Executive Vice President of the company, and Brandi serving as the Chief Brand Officer, it at one stage seemed unfathomable that either Rhodes would leave AEW any time soon. Stories emerged at the tail-end of 2021 to say that Cody was operating as a free agent following the expiration of his contract, but it seemed a given that the American Nightmare would eventually re-up with AEW and continue to be a featured player for the promotion.
Instead, here we are, two months after those previous stories, with Cody and his wife Brandi no longer #AllElite.
As the dust settles on that monumental news, all signs point to Cody returning to WWE - a company he was desperate to leave before finally being granted his release in 2016 - to be utilised as a major star with a mammoth contract to his name.
While this may on the surface by seen as a huge blow to AEW, the reality is that this could all work out in All Elite Wrestling's favour. And here, it's time to explore why Cody's departure is for the betterment of AEW.
10. The Salary It Frees Up
Tony Khan has talked recently and regularly about how AEW is in the process of cutting back on any new signings that the promotion could make.
Having snapped up a whole bunch of free agents across the past couple of years, Khan is at a point where his roster is full to the brim with talent to compete in his men's division, women's division, and the tag team ranks. In addition to the sheer number of people now under the employ of AEW, there is also the fact that, regardless of the vast wealth of himself and his father, Tony does not have an endless amount of money to throw at AEW.
As with any business, AEW has a fiscal responsibility to work within certain financial constraints that make the organisation a viable, sustainable and eventually profitable company. On that front, losing Cody and Brandi Rhodes frees up a major chunk of money that can now be distributed elsewhere.
The general consensus is that Cody was on an annual salary of $3 million in AEW, with Brandi on as much as $2 million per annum. Whichever way you look at it, that's a lot of money and a significant financial commitment that AEW was tied to.
Sure, such salaries can be traded-off against the merchandise sales and product interest the Rhodes' generate, but freeing up such an amount gives AEW more financial freedom to bring in any further talent they see fit.