AEW - All Elite Wrestling (Spoilers for Latest Show)

Lord TSC · 15-02-2022 4:41pm

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1493602087481061377

The White Wolf · 15-02-2022 5:00pm

Has to be a great deal, absolutely awesome. Not just base money wise but the inevitable Network specials on the family thrown in as well. If Cody can get on a spot akin to what Drew McIntyre has carved himself after returning it will be worth it.

Have to wonder where Dustin stands.

Lord TSC · 15-02-2022 5:06pm

probably promised a run in the main event, which would justify his entire reason leaving WWE in the first place (proving how under-utilised he was with them). Maybe two year contract, and then heads back to AEW as the biggest heel in history…

RollieFingers · 15-02-2022 5:21pm

AEW surely just became more appealing for the people who didn't like Cody and Brandi anyways.

Dustin says he's staying!

J. Marston · 15-02-2022 5:26pm

Fresh meat for The Tribal Chief.

Headshot · 15-02-2022 5:32pm

Wow a bit shocked Cody is going especially since his Community outreach program is his baby

15-02-2022 5:37pm

Just had a look at WWE's schedule and they are in Jacksonville on March 14th for RAW...what a homecoming that would be.

Vinnie Mc there slap bang in the middle of the ring with an outstretched hand and a grizzly bear cuddle to welcome Cody home.

BOOM! Most over babyface in wrestling since The Man had her run.

CastorTroy · 15-02-2022 5:49pm

So he got fed up with WWE and the business so decided to start his own, only to go back to WWE?

I don't see him being a face for long as people will start to turn in him like in AEW. Just we won't hear it due to the piped in cheers.

Brandi to be the one to end Becky's reign?

His reality show cancelled?

Furious-Red · 15-02-2022 6:02pm

Part of me feels it some sort of work, if he does go back to wwe you'd presume it's a big money contract. Plus he'll get a mini push then squashed within 6 months.

riffmongous · 15-02-2022 7:39pm

That's quite a shock, I guess the rumours of him having falling out out/ drifting away from the other EVPs had some truth to them.

He's finished with the Main Event scene in AEW with all the new additions, so he's probably thinking it's better to get one more main event program and a nice amount of money.

I really hope he got himself a good contract with at least some control over his future, because I actually do think Cody could benefit from oversight to cut out all the self-indulgent stuff we saw the last while and he could do well in the WWE if booked properly.. which is unfortunately very unlikely to happen.

15-02-2022 7:51pm

When is Jericho's contract up? Hopefully WWE make a big offer for him as well!

titan18 · 15-02-2022 8:27pm

Think that's a big mistake by AEW. I know some don't like Cody, but he's done a lot to help the young talent there and brought in people. He's given chances to talent through his TNT runs and put himself through a lot to get others over.

Loughc · 15-02-2022 10:04pm

I think the WWE rumours are premature. I don’t think Cody will end up going back. Too much bad blood.

The White Wolf · 15-02-2022 10:26pm

Cody had his theme tune before AEW yeah? Be cool to hear it blare out in WWE.

Officer999 · 15-02-2022 11:19pm

The 10 lashings he received from MJF was his best moment. Will never forget the one Wardlow gave him. He really did put a lot of guys over in AEW

ThePott · 16-02-2022 12:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118637510#Comment_118637510

I dunno if that will fly cause the theme throws some shade at WWE.

brianregan09 · 16-02-2022 12:33am

A theme built off his butt hurt with WWE and bascially his whole gimmick in AEW , yeah not happening here pal

CastorTroy · 16-02-2022 12:58am

His return could have him smashing a throne with a sledgehammer.

beakerjoe · 16-02-2022 2:21am

On one hand, I just cant believe him in WWE until I see it considering why he left and how eager others are to leave. Arguably people have been treated a lot worse in WWE since his exit.

On the other hand he is the proud time who has something to prove that he can make it in WWE. If he managed a Brock type deal with creative control and a top push, I can see a reality in which he turns up on WWE tv.

Either way hes got plenty if leverage and I am interested to see how this story develops

Loughc · 16-02-2022 9:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118638383#Comment_118638383

It's WWE, his return would include an entrance where he rebuilds the throne....

... and then gets jobbed out for months.

CastorTroy · 16-02-2022 10:45am

Reggie wins the title back just in time for Cody to start chasing him

Lord TSC · 16-02-2022 11:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118638582#Comment_118638582

I can't see them giving him any sort of creative control.

But I reckon they'll pay him very well, and treat him like a top guy for a few months. And that's probably some level of vindication for a guy who left WWE because he felt he deserved better than they were giving him, and now makes a return as one of the top guys in the industry, really.

He'll still be below Roman and Brock. Everyone is. But I'd guess he'll be paid a proper main eventer salary now (Meltzer is reporting that AEW weren't willing to have him on similar wages to Punk and Bryan, whereas WWE will pay him well), probably get a proper main event run of some sort, Post-Mania. He will be treated as a massive deal by WWE, if only because they don't have any other younger "big deals" that can come into the company hot. He'll probably spend two years circling in feuds with the likes of Seth, KO and so on. And at the end of his contract, his character coming back to AEW practically writes itself too.

I think it's a win for all three tbh. WWE get a shocking new top level character. Cody gets justification for believing in himself. AEW get's a tonne of credit for building him up, and will get a lot of attention from a "Where has Cody been all these years" angle. And, personally speaking, Cody's bits on AEW were always the bits that I disliked the most, cause it felt too "WWE-lite". AEW have spent the time Cody was there building up their own, better talents, and have them all well positioned to easily continue on without him.

Headshot · 16-02-2022 11:35am

I'm disappointed Cody is gone as some of his matches have been great but the upside really is worth it for me

Imagine never seeing Brandi again in AEW, I'm delighted

beakerjoe · 16-02-2022 11:54am

Cody has a great body of work to look back on from both a match and feud quality POV and in terms of elevating others. Darby, MJF, Sammy, he put them all over.

If its money and higher profile he id after, WWE is the place for him.

But you imagine he will be fairly restricted in doing what he wants, I reckon he'd miss that freedom hence why I think he would seek a Brock type deal. Can't see him moving without some big assurances about how he is presented.

I still don't believe its not a work until I see him on WWE tv.

CastorTroy · 16-02-2022 12:09pm

Would it be cynical to think WWE would only want him back as some sort of triumph over AEW? Parade him around like some sort of trophy for a bit.

On another note, Dark had 2 Caster raps this week.

16-02-2022 12:48pm

I think Cody is perfect for WWE and will be a big star for them tbh. As Lord TSC said, his segments always felt a bit WWE lite. I didn't mind him as much in recent months but he was involved in a load of shite that I hated as well over the past 3 years.

It'll be interesting to see does Brandi get a deal as well and stinks up the WWE women's division. Can't see her being better off personally (obviously the deal Cody gets will make up for it). She had a nice cushy backstage job and got to be involved in storylines and matches on Dynamite that she should have never been in. I still say the nightmare collective was the worst storyline they've done since the company started and it was her idea.

16-02-2022 1:04pm

You'd imagine Cody would be getting some sound insurances. Vince getting one of the founding pillars of AEW back on his TV. I'm sure he'd willing to concede ground on one or two issues.

Best for business ain't just a gimmick.

Lord TSC · 16-02-2022 1:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118639783#Comment_118639783

I think it's more that WWE have a massive issue with surprises returns and the likes. There's talks of them trying to convince Austin to do a short match. But they have a huge issue where they rely so heavily on nostalgia pops nowadays, and yet don't have anyone from a more recent generation capable of generating one.

Cody gives them something they can't get with the 100th return of Undertaker or Goldberg; a genuine "Holy ****!" debut. No NXT lads will provide that, the Attitude Era lads have been done to death now, and any genuine Indy talent they'd want is under contract with AEW right now. They'll likely try and present it as a triumph over AEW, but the harsh fact is they haven't been able to generate a main event talent of their own in a decade, and going to AEW (who have created multiple) allows them to cover that weakness for a bit. If anything, it's a damning indictment of WWE that they need to go to AEW to get that fresh face.

LineOfBeauty · 16-02-2022 1:26pm

So many different takes and angles to come at this from, but my main one is this. If this were any other era, even as recently as say 2018, and one of the top stars from the rival American promotion (with national TV) jumped ship to a competitor it would be exciting and fun. Putting aside what little love I have for WWE, this is something that is almost always fun in wrestler, when this type of thing happens. The problem though is in 2022 WWE is an island, to the point where aside from a wink-wink in a promo, we are debating if WWE will even acknowledge where Cody has been for the past few years, that's how bad this company is. And if WWE were even semi-watchable, I'd be excited to see what they do with him in the run up to Mania. The problem is it isn't watchable, so what you end up with is a guy who is going from doing the best work of his life (and Cody's stuff in AEW was always interesting) to basically jumping into a black hole.

And of course we don't know the ins and outs of what happened that led to his falling out with the other members of The Elite. We don't know what led to this supposed falling out with Tony Khan. But I suppose now looking back at the AEW run it will be viewed in a different light. We all knew Cody's stuff seemed almost self-contained compared to the rest of the show and we knew the reason why this was but I think I enjoyed every single one of Cody's angles both from an old school wrestling perspective and, occasionally, an ironic perspective. In WWE, we won't be getting any of that.

And that's where it's a shame for us, the fans, because WWE have long lost the benefit of the doubt. The "let it play out" crowd have long since become nothing more than Meme worthy WWE fanatics, we know that outside of the initial pop and maybe month or 2 of buzz, they'll run out of interesting things to do with him, we know that he's destined for Kevin Owens/Seth Rollins upper mid card territory post Mania. The reported $5 million is a massive contract, he's a WWE guy from training and ultimately he's a worker true to heart with friends in that company and maybe a point to prove, but still from a fan perspective it feels like the hottest run of this guy's career from a creative standpoint is being cut short at a time when there was many money matches left on the table for him in AEW.

If WWE were a watchable part of the pro wrestling ecosphere maybe there'd be something for us to be excited about, but really the only winners from this are Cody (financially at least you'd imagine) and Vince, who gets a W.

2ndcoming · 16-02-2022 1:29pm

I think Cody is crazy thinking WWE are going to treat him like their top stars. His Dad was one of the biggest names of the 80s and they dressed him in yellow polka dots and treated him like a joke out of pettiness. Ditto Dustin who took to the Golddust character a lot more than the joke Vince intended it to be. He was trying to make a fool of both for going against him in the first place.

Vince has always had open contempt for those associated with the Mid-South Territories / WCW and whether he likes it or not that is who Cody is. Rightly or wrongly he feels TK hasn't given him the spot he feels he deserves so he is supposedly taking his ball and going home so to speak. A big part of me still thinks this is a work, we'll see. I still think that's far more likely than him being treated like Lesnar in WWE or challenging for the top titles on equal billing.

AEW - All Elite Wrestling (*Spoilers for Latest Show*)

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AEW - All Elite Wrestling (Spoilers for Latest Show)