Cody Rhodes Left AEW With No Stake In The Company

Cody Rhodes was the talk of the wrestling world yesterday after AEW announced that he and his wife Brandi Rhodes were leaving the company. Cody was a mainstay and a founding member of AEW. Both Rhodes’ had key backstage roles in addition to their in-ring performances.

When AEW was formed, the core group was Tony Khan, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Cody Rhodes. Many fans assumed because the wrestlers were named EVPs of the company that there might be some ownership stake. That belief led some to wonder how things would work if Cody walked away with part of AEW.

Reports suggested that Cody leaving AEW was about more than just money. That may be true, but it certainly was a factor. Dave Meltzer was asked about Cody’s potential ownership stake in AEW on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer noted that Cody was walking away without any piece of the company. That means Cody Rhodes will have no ties to AEW going forward.

“You know, it’s an interesting thing, because I do know when this was all going down that he was not going to do that. That was clear to me, that they were going to own it [AEW] 100%. It’s possible they could have, with a business partner or something, which they did not do.

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But, as far as the talent, that was not something that was offered to them. They were offered a lot, a lot, a lot of money, and they were offered, you know, again, executive positions and everything. One of the things… It’s that, you know, when the company started, Cody was going to be and was one of… The real big singles stars were Cody, Kenny Omega, Moxley, and Jericho. They were the big four. That was going to be the case. And as time went on, Cody’s role was to add to that.”

There were plenty of concessions offered to those who came on board with AEW in its early days. Executive positions and big-money contracts were among those. An ownership interest in AEW was not. Cody Rhodes will walk away from AEW with nothing but memories.

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Transcription by Ringside News