El-P

The most fascinating thing to me, and probably the most important, is that TK simply did not pick up Cody's option. He picked up all the other ones from the first signees, but not Cody's. So that basically means that if Cody wanted out for whatever reason, TK agreed to let him go, knowing he would be a catch for the opposition.

When did I say "without Khan it's nothing" ? Oh yeah, I did not say that at all actually. I said "Without Khan it does not happen". And without the Elite making waves on the indies and *mostly* Jericho vs Omega in NJPW, it does not happen either. It's the right people at the right time under the right circumstances. But to say that it could have been anyone else, well, ok then, but that's pure conjecture on hypothetical stuff that did not happen. And Khan isn't just a "rich Internet poster", you make it sound like he's a random money mark. He's a long time fan who has studied the business, including the mistakes of the past, and had been thinking for a while about it. Who are the other potential people who could have made it happen ? It's not like no one had tried since WCW collapsed. Jarrett and the Carters have tried, and failed miserably. ROH never reached the mainstream. Still waiting for that Shane Douglas promotion that gives pensions and all... So no, TK did not "take all their momentum and squirrels it off for himself, cuts the head off any individual promotions momentum & makes it about "his" brand.", that's simply not factual at all and really paints him as some carny leeching off of the Elite, which is ridiculous honestly, especially considering how successful they have been thus far. To realize what exactly ? That the company wasn't about him chasing his dad's legacy ? Sure. It never was. The guy managed to turn an audience who absolutely loved him to death against him because of his tone-deaf obsession, really, and it made the product awkward to watch at times. Hell, PWO is the best instance of it, most people here were much more into Cody than they ever were into any other member of the Elite, but by the end the threads were all about making fun of the Codyverse and how awful all that stuff was. And considering he spent the last 5 years talking about making a Revolution and money was not all that mattered and breaking throne and shit, well, he sure gonna get a ridiculous payday (hopefully for him), but his character kinda looks fickle as hell now. Not to mention how he's gonna be booked (come on people, WWE, 2022).

You realize that the promotion just doesn't happen if there is no one with actual money and contacts to make it happen, right ? TK did not cut the head of anything, he made the thing happen. As much as All In was a success, it could not become an actual meaningful promotion without serious financial backing and TV contracts. If TK doesn't make it happen, maybe we get another All In show if ROH is willing to helps again, but probably the Elite signs with WWE, who was throwing big-ass money at Omega. The Khan family put 100% of the money. It was never gonna be anything but their promotion. Everybody knew this from the start. EVP is a job and a title, not an ownership stamps.

To be fair, although All In did play a part, the real kickstarter was Omega vs Jericho in NJPW. This is where TK saw that there was subscription boom in the US. There's a reason why the three guys TK wanted to build AEW around were Jericho, Omega and Punk. Which, in the end, he's been doing. Plus, All In was not all about Cody, at all. The NWA match with Aldis did have traction, but Omega & the Bucks were the bigger stars on the indie scene, ROH and NJPW, which basically was the All In audience. And you had that Okada fellow on the card too... There's a very high possibility of this, indeed. And really, he's not gonna have the same creative input as he had in AEW, for better (the first two years) or worse (ya know...), he's not gonna be seen as the "Head of the revolution" but a guy who crept back to good ol' WWE Universe after being unable to come to term with the hot new promotion he helped create and which is bringing fresh guys WWE was stupid enough to let go (Cole, Keith). Like I said, some people are going to paint it as a major "victory" for Vince, but in reality, it must just be bittersweet for Cody. If he thinks he's gonna take HHH's place on the broken throne, he's quite delusional.

Okada had a great match (I know, shocking) with him just after he left WWE. I dunno, he seems to be really good but at the same time, there are several guys like him already in AEW aka really excellent mechanically but not earth-shattering in term of charisma (Neese, Lethal).

Let's be real, it must be pretty bittersweet for him. I don't think after all this he visualized himself leaving the company he helped build to go back to Vince, 6 years after he left.

Back in AEW in three years on commentary, talking about going to the pay window and the mothership. In 2028 he'll turn heel and join the Bullet Club.

Well, apparently now the word is that Cody is going to WWE, but without Brandi. Plot thickens. Of course, rumors...

I jokingly talked about Cody getting the creative of NXT2.0, but objectively, he may have this on the back of his mind in the never ending quest of chasing his father's shadow. After all, who was more instrumental in developing the best (of you believe the hype) years of NXT than Dusty ? The issue is, as always, is that whatever you did outside of WWE doesn't really count. I mean, it does, but it doesn't. Also, for as much as Cody was a positive influence backstage in AEW in term of working with younger talent, he was never the booker. The idea that everybody was doing the booking has been debunked a long time ago, TK always was the man in charge in the end. Maybe they others EVP had more leeways before the infamous Dark Order beatdown episode (the worst Dynamite finish ever), but it was never a booking committee of sorts. No idea how Brandi fits into this either. She wants to be a worker again, but she always shines the best as a heel valet, she's actually great at it. Her AEW stint really has been a miss for the most part, when you look back at it, in term of in-front of the camera stuff. I gave her the benefit of the doubt over and over again, but there's no two ways about it. In WWE she'd be Maria Kanellis, basically.

I totally can see Jericho going back to end his career. Mox ? Doesn't seem likely at all.

Also, it's kinda fascinating that people act like now everybody will want to jump. Wait, because Cody was unhappy after a year of screwing up his own character and being overshadowed by everybody in the Elite and newcomers, that invalidates everything that has been said about WWE's management of talent for the last years and AEW's success ? Like, really now ? Wow...

Well, Jade did not go for the "We're your family now" cult sell-job, MJF has still time on his contract and it will be a very different deal then. WWE can take Wardlow any day.

It won't change the incompetent booking one iota. Like I said before. Cody was a nobody in an unsuccessful promotion, but now that he's gonna jump all of a sudden it's a huge deal and a game changer (wait, I thought AEW wasn't a success anyway, so how does it change the game ?) .

You mean 2020 ? Ok, it works. Seriously though, I think some people are way overestimating what Cody back to WWE would mean. In 6 months he's just another guy.

Which is ?

Even without the shots, WWE is incompetent at booking anyone not made by them. And it's nothing new. Cody was lost in the last year of AEW already, I have no idea how anyone would think Vince in 2022 would make the most out of this guy. He's the one who released Adam Cole and Keith Lee.

Steve Austin : I may do Mania this year. How about this for headlines ? Cody Rhodes : hold my beer.

Cody in charge of NXT 2.0 anyone ? Then at Mania next year, Cody & Brandi vs HHH & Stephy for Brand Supremacy ! I know. I'm shivering just at the thought of this actually happening...

The heel reactions he would get then... Especially if he goes "Well, I've got a new contract, I can challenge for the World Title now", Mr. Liar style.

Since when do we actually believe what pro-wrestler say ? It was going so well for Cody. And then he got the neck tattoo. And then Omega & the Bucks finally got pushed to the top as they should have and the company grew more than when Cody was seen as the guy. And then the baby gender reveal and the Ogogo promo. And then while it was all about CM Punk & Danielson & Adam Cole, Cody was fighting his own audience with semi-shoot promos about "not turning heel". In the end, something had to give, especially if he wanted more money than TK was willing to give him considering his current status on the roster.

Expected reactions from idiotic WWE stans : "lulz AEW iz dEaD". Just give us Cody & Brandi doing the Cardona loop and show up in GCW already. He knows how to take a bump into fire now.

After working in a such talent-oriented company, I have no idea how anyone could bear the WWE toxic cultish corporate environment though.

Mania results : Steve Austin beats Dashing Cody Rhodes with the stunner in 3:16mn. Earlier on the show Brandi appears in a backstage segment being talked down by Charlotte.

Coach Tony K. was giving us the 1-2 punch of Adam Cole & Brian Danielson while Cody was giving us... well... what Cody was giving us. I guess those boos did get to him after all.

Which also begs the question, what happens with PVZ ? Thunder Rosa is going against Baker, but there is certainly potential for PVZ in pro-wrestling and honestly Brandi would not have been the one to carry a match. Time for Red Velvet as a stand-in again ? All jokes aside, I sure hope we get a PVZ match and Velvet wouldn't be the worse choice considering what she did with Jade.