Pro Wrestling! (For Everything WWE, Impact, Indies, AEW, & Japan !) 2021

[choptop]

i'm a big fan of cole, and cody has always been just ok to me but you really think adam cole has more star power??

the thing with cody is shocking but i guess i just don't care as much as most. if he goes to wwe i don't think anything is going to change over there.

Very true Cody is not changing anything in WWE he is going to be right back in medcard meanwhile AEW is going to be fine with out him they have plenty of stars.

[Godlike13]

I'd rather Cody keep he's dignity and respect and go to AAA or something for a little less money.

He already did that when he left WWE. He's peaked already when it comes to the indy scene.

[Godlike13]

i'm a big fan of cole, and cody has always been just ok to me but you really think adam cole has more star power??

the thing with cody is shocking but i guess i just don't care as much as most. if he goes to wwe i don't think anything is going to change over there.

Ya, Cole has obvious talent but he doesn't even take himself seriously.

[choptop]

He already did that when he left WWE. He's peak already when it comes to the indy scene.

I know I'd rather he do it again.

[JBatmanFan05]

I hadn't seen this Keller excerpt before, but apparently maybe Tony wasn't so cool with how Cody was handling his own character, but I can't tell if Keller is speculating moreso or what:

Keller added, “but the bottom line is Cody was not successful with this character and was stubborn or steadfast in wanting to be portrayed a certain way. And you can see it in that statement about the community outreach aspect of it. So when you’re trying to manage Brandi’s aspirations, and you’re also wanting to be paid a certain amount, and to match or exceed others, and at the same time the crowd is rejecting the character that you’re steadfast in wanting to continue portraying, it can become a problem.”

https://www.cagesideseats.com/aew/20...-evpstony-khan
https://wrestlingnews.co/aew-news/co...r-cody-in-aew/

I think it'd be kinda crazy (or humorous or ironic?) if it's even partially true that Cody was sorta not resigned because he wouldn't turn heel.

Even I, from my TV, could sense that Cody was really controlling about his portrayal and character and all. You could feel it, sense it.

[Immortal Weapon]

You can tell how bothered Cody was about him being rejected by the fans. I hated how insider Cody became when addressing issues. I like my promos to strictly be kayfabe

[SUPERECWFAN1]

No idea how true the story is about Brandi and the claims by Keller. People have came forward to refute that right now.

But a big issue seems to be Cody's ego may have grown to a point where he wanted to be the HHH of AEW. You saw it where he smashed a throne in one PPV and how he viewed himself backstage at one point. It was wanting to be that HHH type who could lead the company and be at that level. (he praised HHH for his roles on TV and behind things a year or 2 ago)

From what Keller is claiming "Ego" sank the Cody Rhodes/AEW relationship.

[JBatmanFan05]

Trying to think from Cody's perspective, Father Time might be a factor too, per comments from Nov 2021:

“I will not turn heel. You don’t want to drop an absolute on anybody, but I don’t have a lot left in my career. I don’t have another 10 years. It’s probably three more years, full time wrestling, and I want to get every accolade I can get my hands on"

https://www.sportskeeda.com/aew/aew-...face-character

So maybe, from his perspective only of course, Cody felt he didn't have enough "accolades" and he feels he's under the proverbial gun timewise, and Tony would have to outbid Vince if Cody was going to continue on gambling to acquire all these "accolades" in AEW, where he already felt out of step with Tony and AEW's audience.

(he must seek some lofty accolades, I guess some 5 star matches and some main event booking are not quite enough)

[JBatmanFan05]

Pretty strong Dynamite I thought. Good mix of good promos and strong matches. Things seems leading up to a strong Revolution card, as expected. I'd prefer Andrade vs Darby, or Andrade vs Sammy, I've always generally preferred singles matches, but a three-way match (which all signs point to) could be great too. Jericho got into some better shape, so that was nice to notice.

It's still amazing to see Danielson wrestle at such a high level like this.

I think my line of the night was Moxley, the way he delivered it (terrible paraphrasing): If you're afraid to fight me, well, then I've beat you already.

[Nods]

I think we need to wait and see what the WWE is offering Cody for the flip. If he get's to main event Wrestlemania and win the Title..it's a good move for him. This would be a legacy thing and he's likely needs it. The fact of the matter is while his AEW run was great he really just kinda ran through the roster and I don't know what was left for him. The AEW roster is so bloated right now we need to see certain people retire and leave to allow for other wrestlers to work.

[JBatmanFan05]

The fact of the matter is while [Cody's] AEW run was great he really just kinda ran through the roster and I don't know what was left for him.

Cagematch tells me Cody only fought Punk (in a singles bout) for like 11 mins in 2008, so there could have been a (big substantial) match there methinks. I don't see that Cody vs Bryan ever really got much of any substantial time. One 20 min 2017 indie match with Cole, ok. I see no singles bout with Adam Page. Plus, AEW is a whole different thing than NJPW (or smaller US indies even), so Omega vs Cody could have been something cool and big and different again in AEW. Cody vs Keith Lee (only got one 20 min 2017 indie match...I mean who wasn't watching PWM back then? (sarcasm)).

I don't know, seems like he had some other fresh opponents (or big rematches) left in AEW.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Trying to think from Cody's perspective, Father Time might be a factor too, per comments from Nov 2021:

https://www.sportskeeda.com/aew/aew-...face-character

So maybe, from his perspective only of course, Cody felt he didn't have enough "accolades" and he feels he's under the proverbial gun timewise, and Tony would have to outbid Vince if Cody was going to continue on gambling to acquire all these "accolades" in AEW, where he already felt out of step with Tony and AEW's audience.

(he must seek some lofty accolades, I guess some 5 star matches and some main event booking are not quite enough)

This to me is very short sighted of Cody. You can get accolades being a heel. HHH got more accolades as a heel from 1999 to 2001 than he ever did as a face. Cody should have looked at where the company was at and a role needed. He as a heel could have slid right in and feuded against Page in 2002 after the Danielson program. Instead he wouldn't do it and we got what we have seen instead.

[JBatmanFan05]

This to me is very short sighted of Cody. You can get accolades being a heel. HHH got more accolades as a heel from 1999 to 2001 than he ever did as a face. Cody should have looked at where the company was at and a role needed. He as a heel could have slid right in and feuded against Page in 2002 after the Danielson program. Instead he wouldn't do it and we got what we have seen instead.

I can't help but agree right now. It's like he maybe limited or handicapped his potential upside value to Tony and may have not even realized it (when, in negotiations, Tony or his lawyers basically conveyed "I don't think you have that value right now" which maybe was subtle Tony-code for "convince me, what will you change about yourself to draw more?").

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I can't help but agree right now. It's like he maybe limited or handicapped his potential upside value to Tony and may have not even realized it (when, in negotiations, Tony basically conveyed "I don't think you have that value right now" which maybe was subtle Tony-code for "convince me, what will you change?").

Khan likely was trying to get Cody to turn heel which I said here and elsewhere ...he naturally should have went heel against Black as fans were booing him outta arenas etc. Instead Cody gave some inane reasoning deal where he wanted to play a tweener role essentially and it just wasn't working. When arena full of people repeatedly boo you , your not John Cena. Its clear Cody may have thought it...but the AEW crowd wanted him to go full heel there.

He could have taken that momentum after that program and went against Page to put him over. And like you posted pointed to Khan and said how his value was high now as top heel again.

[JBatmanFan05]

Khan likely was trying to get Cody to turn heel which I said here and elsewhere ...he naturally should have went heel against Black as fans were booing him outta arenas etc. ...but the AEW crowd wanted him to go full heel there.

I was thinking about it while walking at lunch, and it's like, many AEW fans read consume wrestling news/interviews/shoots/etc, and some or many audiences like to assert their power/opinions upon certain wrestlers.

And so, if you're gonna try to "not go heel" I would think it'd be smarter to never quite say that in an interview or promo (assuming his refusal comments weren't a work), and overtly poke at audiences and give them something that they're determined to change. It's like you said, he's not John Cena, so not changing can backfire (on top of being an obstacle for the booker to try to navigate).


I really wonder if Cody might have gotten more away with "not going heel" if he never called fans' attention to it. But, like another poster said, he can't resist getting all insider in his promos.

Defector.com quote: "[Cody] had fallen into a rut of his own making, though; while the general vibe of Codyverse was consistent, the stories were often unfocused and convoluted, up until the moment they were abandoned."