There isn't an AEW without All in. You can get technical, but Cody, the Bucks, Omega and khan built that company from ground up.
Cody left to help set up AEW? That's not even close to being true?
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There isn't an AEW without All in. You can get technical, but Cody, the Bucks, Omega and khan built that company from ground up.
Just seen an article about the Goldberg v Reigns match in Saudi and that
Its suggested Goldberg could win the title on Saturday
Without Cody there wouldn’t be an AEW.
Khan wanted Punk for it years ago but he wasn’t interesteD.
Khan wanted Punk for it years ago but he wasn’t interesteD.
It was meant to say "Cody left and went on to help set up AEW", doesn't change the point at all - Cody got a better offer from WWE than he did from AEW, and so he moved back. If it were the huge beginning of the end deal that you're making it out to be, Khan would have thrown the money at him that he was asking for.
It's a good move for WWE no doubt, even a great one if they use Cody well, but I don't think it impacts AEW that much going forward.
I hope he does well in WWE, I haven't bothered keeping up with their stuff for a while but if Cody can go there and shine I might pay attention again.
If Cody didn’t sign for AEW, but Omega and the Bucks did, the company (or a company) would have still been founded. Ditto if Omega didn’t ultimately sign up. Tony Khan obviously needed that critical mass of talent, but again Cody was just one of those big five at start. The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and then Chris Jericho were just as important.
I’m not denying that Cody played a big role in further popularising the American independent wrestling scene, which led to All In and then AEW, but he was only one of the main players and not the only one. All In and AEW was built upon Bullet Club, The Elite and Chris Jericho’s return to NJPW. Cody owes as much to Bullet Club, as say AEW owes to Cody.
I thought I was going mad for a second.
It's not a beginning of an end deal and I've not once said it was. It is however a bigger deal than Danielson and punk.
There wouldn't have been a company without All in it was founded off the back of that. No ones denying there werent other players, it obviously wasn't all Cody however you're discrediting the work he put in, he was undoubtedly the main driving force behind all in and one of the key people behind the scenes in creating AEW. Tony Khan didn't just decide to spend all his dad's money on a whim.
And the fact that half of AEWs production is casino themed is a testament to all in.
Cody is an AEW midcarder who wants to be face but the crowd want to boo him. Bryan and Punk are main eventers who effect the ratings and can have dream matches people have wanted to see for years or the best part of a decade.
Bryan and Punk took AEW to another level in terms of star power and exposure.
Cody does nothing for WWE. In fact his involvement with AEW probably wouldnt even be mentioned on WWE television because it would be putting over the competition and conceding that they've done great.
But Cody was a mid card guy in AEW and the rumours of falling out with the rest of the EVPs seem to be true. Despite that he managed to outshine a lot of top angles with his over the top entrances etc. he’s one of the few who had memorable angles outside of the title picture under Khans takeover of creative.
He’s the one who was basically the promoter for All in, he’s the one TNT handpicked to lead a Miz style reality show to attract the female demographic. Compared to that who else has had more influence on the growth of AEW than Cody? When the history of AEW is written, Cody will have a huge chapter to himself.
I expect a few more stars to leave if this does confirm backstage heat over Tony jumping forward to claim every ounce of credit. For me, the booking has become a lot more ABC than what we had up until he neutered wrestlers working their own programs. Cody could just be the first to go. The signs are there, the likes of Jericho have been Pogba’d with Tony triggering 1 year extensions instead of happily negotiating a new deal. I honestly couldn’t understand why bigger deals weren’t made of that.
It really isn't, they both gave AEW a sense of legitimacy far beyond Cody did. They were two of the very top WWE guys, compared to Cody who left as he was being treated as a joke.
He'll get treated much better now, at least to start with, although it'll be interesting to see how he deals with reading from a script again, especially if he doesn't like what's on said script.
The whole thing seems as simple as him wanting the kind of money that Punk & Bryan are on and Khan saying no.
Does anyone really care if Jericho leaves now? Again, like with Cody, it’s not in AEW’s interest to offer him a new deal to make him the top earner in the company. That’s not his position on the card going forward and his best days for AEW are behind him.
They are even doing an angle tapping into fan sentiment that people want to see Guevara, Santana and Ortiz leave Jericho’s shadow.
Jericho 
Never mind Pogba'd, he needs to be Greenwood'd. He's absolutely abysmal in the ring now and incredibly irritating on the mic, whether in a promo or doing commentary.
I can see him and Danielson both going back to WWE though at some point.
Never mind Pogba'd, he needs to be Greenwood'd. He's absolutely abysmal in the ring now and incredibly irritating on the mic, whether in a promo or doing commentary.
I can see him and Danielson both going back to WWE though at some point.
I think the truth is somewhere between what you guys are saying.
Cody clearly does something for WWE, if nothing else they get to stop the one way traffic of talent, which was painting a really bad picture for them, especially given some of the quotes etc from various wrestlers who'd moved over.
However, it's a huge jump from "Cody didn't get offered the Punk/Bryan money from AEW but did from WWE" to "Khan is taking all of the credit and there's going to be an exodus".
The likes of Cody, and Jericho (who I can see going back to WWE for a payday also), have been lost in the shuffle a little bit, with bigger names coming in (Punk/Bryan) and also with some of the younger guys stepping up (MJF, Sammy, etc).
Ok, Cody leaving might not be big in terms of he’s the main guy in the major storylines and all that, but it is still a big story that the guy who basically founded it and was an EVP is now leaving and probably going back to wwe. Talent wise he might not be Bryan, but I guess the point is there wouldn’t be an AEW without him to begin with, and that’s why it matters.
(Just like to say, I haven’t watched anything Cody has done in years, so no idea if he’s any good or not really, doubt he’ll make much of an impact in wwe beyond initial redebut, it’s not him as a talent that makes this interesting, it’s his importance to the formation of the company to begin with)
(Just like to say, I haven’t watched anything Cody has done in years, so no idea if he’s any good or not really, doubt he’ll make much of an impact in wwe beyond initial redebut, it’s not him as a talent that makes this interesting, it’s his importance to the formation of the company to begin with)
I feel as if you're looking at Cody as purely talent. His talent/on screen spot is not what makes him going to WWE a big deal, it's his actual position in the company.
Jericho
Never mind Pogba'd, he needs to be Greenwood'd. He's absolutely abysmal in the ring now and incredibly irritating on the mic, whether in a promo or doing commentary.
I can see him and Danielson both going back to WWE though at some point.
I love Jericho, I think he's really entertaining, and not as bad in the ring as you suggest. I even enjoy his overly excitable commentary.
However, he's basically already done the job he was brought into AEW to do - he added legitimacy to a brand new company by being a recognisable name holding the belt, has built and put over the likes of Sammy and MJF, and with the inner circle collapsing to free up Santana & Ortiz he probably won't have much to do. Going back to WWE for a well paid final run makes perfect sense for him.
Exactly.
That's accurate, I am looking at it in that way, as his actual position nowadays is ceremonial. AEW have to offer deals based on what people can offer in the future, rather than the past.
I agree that his position makes it a bigger deal than it would be ordinarily, but it doesn't make it bigger than Punk or Bryan - both are bigger names, one who moved over for the same money for his love of wrestling, and one who was completely done with the industry but came back because he liked what he saw. In contrast, Cody is going to WWE because they offered him the money that AEW wouldn't. Big, but not on the level of the two aforementioned guys.
Nobody is saying it doesn't matter, or isn't a big deal (except maybe Ekeke, but he's quite partisan), we're just debating the level of it. For @SalfordRed18 it's bigger than Bryan moving despite being one of the top guys, and Punk coming out of retirement. For me and others, not so much, as WWE were always going to throw money at a big AEW name when the opportunity arose.
Well yes I guess I was aiming mostly at Ekeke who seems overly protective of AEW for some reason.
I guess Punk was big in that he was done with the industry, but for me his return got boring quickly and I lost interest after his initial return promo, I don’t think he’s big enough to keep the casuals interested long-term, and it’s probably them that impact ratings and advertising and all that, although the MJF stuff has been a good watch recently.
Bryan is obviously the biggest one, best in the business jumping ship. I’d probably go Bryan, Cody, punk in bigness order, but may revisit if he just ends up being a boring midcarder on arrival.
I disagree with you about Punk, I've enjoyed his run and that he wasn't parachuted into the title scene immediately. However, if he isn't big enough to keep the casuals interested, then it's hard to make a case that Cody is.
You've also got to include the context as to why folks move to judge the size of it, and in this case Cody didn't get offered the Punk/Bryan money by AEW, but was offered it by WWE. Bryan and Punk both had equivalent offers from WWE, they just chose AEW instead. To me that means more than a giving up a ceremonial EVP title for a big payday.
Cody will get a great start at WWE, they need to make a big deal out of him or they'll severely damage the chances of anybody following him. The question is if there's room at the top for him long term, or if he's bumped down to make room for Reigns/Lesnar for the hundredth time.
I guess casuals are more likely to tune into wwe, perhaps out of loyalty for what it once was, rather than follow someone to a different company to face people they’ve most likely not heard of/seen before…that’s my theory based on nothing at all other than my own personal feelings (and I’m probably too casual a fan to really be called a casual fan). I guess based on that (probably very flawed) logic, for AEW to attract the casuals they need the ex-wwe guys to face each other.
AEW is very good for their core fans, but very little has made me think I want to watch each week.
As for Cody, I guess only way to compare with Bryan/punk is to give it 6 months and see what he’s up to at that point. Lesnar must be due to disappear for a few months soon, so that’ll open up a spot for cody for a bit.
Punk gets the biggest reaction and ratings, so he'd be #1, #2 Bryan for being a big name in WWE and rejecting his deal and going to AEW for the dream matches and #3 Cody. If Jericho as is likely, eventually goes back to WWE, he'd slot into #3 and Cody #4
Someone like Omega or Hangman going to WWE would be the closest thing to matching #1 and #2. MJF and Britt Baker in the future too.
Also you need to consider that AEW had a 2 year option on Cody's deal. So they didnt want to pick it up
Edit - Jericho's option was picked up in Jan so he's under contract till Jan 2024 so he's a long way off too
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The big problem AEW may have in losing Cody is that he brought a number of the “originals” into AEW and WWE may seem him as key into luring over the likes MJF, Jungle Boy and Sammy .Cody was also key in brining in Moxley. They can easily afford to lose him as a wrestler due to the quality and depth of their roster but they may end up regreting it for who he make lure with him.
I'm firmly in the casual category, and I'm a pretty good example of what you mean, and I have to disagree with your assessment.
I would keep up with WWE and had no interest in other companies. Unfortunately though I found WWE progressively more and more boring until I stopped caring. Nothing ever seemed to matter, and all roads led to Cena, or more recently Reigns or Lesnar.
AEW has been great for me because there's are stories I can follow, and the matches I find much more entertaining, and I want to tune in each week.
They're going to have to push Cody up with Lashley, Brock and Reigns then. If they bring him in and he's just another guy those guys are going to know they have it much better in AEW. They already do anyway because their height wont be used as a reason they cant be a main eventer and they have a status/secured push towards the top.
So it's suggested that Vince is going to make Cody a huge part of Wrestlemania and push him to the hilt.
I therefore expect Cosy to be buried by Monday Nights Raw Episode the night after.
I therefore expect Cosy to be buried by Monday Nights Raw Episode the night after.
None of those names are anywhere near Bryan or Punk. Omega showing up in the WWE would be a 'cool' moment for the general wrestling fanbase but nothing more. A lot of people would have no clue who Hangman was. And that's forgetting that in reality, all of these names actually being mentioned aren't even HUGE stars. The WWE could afford to let Bryan go to AEW. Of course he's a quality worker but in the overall picture it's really not going to hurt them that much. Punk was definitely a bigger get as he had been out of the business for so long and there was a lot of people that wanted to see him return and at the time it was coupled with the likes of Bryan etc and kept the heat up for AEW which kept the general wrestling fans talking and interested.
I'd say the reality is that there isn't a great deal difference between all of those (Punk, Bryan, Cody. Omega doesn't belong anywhere in the same conversation). Punk is probably the best get because of the above. Ultimately I don't think any of these changes are going to hurt either company all that much. Do definitely think AEW should have made better moves to keep hold of Cody though.
In other news, rumours are Steve Austin will face Goldberg at mania instead of Owens.
A dream match....about 24 years ago.
A dream match....about 24 years ago.
I really don’t know what I think about that, I prefer it to Owens.
Would love Cody v Rollins/Lashley. You are likely right on the route Vince will take however. I don't see him letting the AEW guy come to WWE and hold one of the top belts.
For me, the moment for Rock v Reigns has passed. If anything, I'd prefer to see Rock v Brock which could be a great storyline about how The Rock never got his rematch.
That would be a bigger surprise than when he beat The Fiend. Just don't see it happening
Apparently, they want Roman to chase the title against Brock
God knows.... it is bloody Vince booking.
According to Sources, Vince is literally jumping at the opportunity of signing one of the founders of AEW and he sees it as a huge deal and is willing to push Cody hard.
Cody's winning intercontinental at mania and dropping it the following night on raw to Corbin. You read it here first.
Is Owens really a dream match? It'll be Owens bad mouthing Texas, Austin comes out hits the stunner.
Goldberg won't be a great match either but at least I suppose it'll be a spectacle.
For Cody's first promo back in WWE he has to say; "In 2016, I left professional wrestling. In 2022, I'm back."
The internet would burn.
The internet would burn.
Perhaps I'm scared by the treatment of WCW and ECW talent 20 years ago. Those guys were buried so hard initially. Even Goldberg and Sting when they eventually got their pushes were buried by HHH
I just hope Brandi is given an hour each show.
I don't care what she does, I just want to look at her.
I don't care what she does, I just want to look at her.
I’d love for them to start an angle with Austin during a broken skull session where he says the wrong thing and whoever he is interviewing takes exception and beats the hell out of him.
How were Sting or Goldberg buried?
Goldberg beat The Rock, Jericho, destroyed everyone in the Elimination Chamber and would of won the title then if he hadn’t refused a overseas tour, took the title of HHH, only eventually lost the title in a triple threat because of Evolution, entered a programme with Brock and beat Lesnar at Mania.
Sting joined the WWE in his 50s. Had a great debut at Survivor Series, and started a feud with the biggest available heel in the WWE at the time The Authority. Had a huge match at Mania with HHH and DX/NWO involvement. You could argue that he should of won but does it really matter? It didn’t affect him in anyway. His next match is a world title match which he loses again in a memorable programme before he retires due to injury.