Cody Rhodes On How AEW Plans On Building Talent

All Elite Wrestling doesn’t even own a wrestling ring that we know of and Cody Rhodes is already being asked some big questions about the new company. AEW doesn’t plan on competing with WWE, but they could be a substantial alternative. They might use some ideas that WWE is implementing right now, but a Performance Center isn’t one of them yet.

While speaking to WINCLY, Cody Rhodes revealed AEW’s plan to build new talent. Owning their own feeder system might be a very long-term idea so right now Rhodes said that they have a facility in Atlanta where they could pay for training if needed.

 “I have access to a really good facility here in Atlanta…I have a really good facility that’s called the One Fall Power Factory that the AEW coordinator, Mike, he also is the coach there. It would be a long shot to do a feeder system versus maybe some sponsored trainees instead. Where they could go to the different schools because that to me – people don’t talk about how great OVW was near enough because we didn’t have four rings and Shawn Michaels teaching us.”

“But we also weren’t told that we had to love wrestling. You learned to love wrestling. You find like-minded people to go to the gym with, you watch wrestling with your friends, you weren’t just checking boxes. Not that that’s what they do but that’s why I like the idea of maybe some sponsored trainees instead. Ya know, here’s four guys – and I know Matt Jackson has talked about doing something similar with OWE and China about maybe a bit of a trainee exchange. And that’s something that he could speak to, but yeah, I think maybe sponsored training more than a full-time center. I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves.”

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Sponsoring a talent’s training is something that WWE has done in the past before OVW was set up as their developmental program. AEW could theoretically sign a cross-over athlete and put them through pro wrestling school on their dime to get the experience needed before appearing on their product.

Double Or Nothing needs to happen and then AEW has Fight For The Fallen after that. So there are more important things to worry about now. After all, AEW hasn’t even announced a television deal yet.

Thanks to Wresting Inc for the quote