As one of the top babyfaces in WWE today, The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes, has garnered a significant fan following. His recent altercation with The Rock highlighted the genuine fanbase he has amassed in just the past two years.
Even though Cody started his career in WWE, his switch to AEW in 2019 is one of the main reasons that has elevated his career from a mid-card wrestler to a main event star. At a recent AEW live event, Darby Allin, known for his past rivalry with Rhodes in AEW, prompted fans to chant Rhodes’ name by referencing him in his promo.
Cody Rhodes gets loud chant at AEW show
On the latest episode of AEW Dynamite, the former TNT Champion, Darby Allin delivered a fiery promo against the Young Bucks, calling them out for their selfish and arrogant behavior.
Allin said, “You know when I was homeless and AEW first started, I begged you guys for a job. You saw nothing in me, Yet, I had to sit by and watch all your shit friends get hired. Your little California crew. Thank god at the time there was an EVP here with a sense of brains. And I am not talking about Kenny Omega.”
After this, the fans got hyped and started to chant, “Cody!” which made the Young Bucks speechless. Despite Allin not directly mentioning Cody Rhodes’ name, the reference to “there was an EVP” made the fans cheer for Rhodes, as he was one of the Executive Vice Presidents of the company in 2019.
Allin also praised Cody Rhodes for being the only EVP who had a brain and saw something in him when he was homeless and begging for a job. Rhodes and Allin had a long and storied history in AEW that extended until Rhodes left the company in February 2022.
They faced each other many times, with Allin finally defeating Rhodes for the TNT Championship at Full Gear 2020. Allin’s promo and the crowd’s reaction showed that Cody Rhodes is still a beloved figure in AEW, and that his legacy and his contribution to the company have not been forgotten.
Cody Rhodes opened about AEW EVP role
Cody Rhodes was not only a performer in AEW, but he was one of the founding fathers of All Elite Wrestling along with CEO of AEW, Tony Khan. Rhodes served as the Executive Vice President of AEW along with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega. In an interview with Chris Van Vliet in July 2023, Rhodes opened about the difficulties he faced being the EVP of the company.
Rhodes said, “One thing that’s been really very real and in front of your face, and accurate is that the long road sometimes can be very special, but you have to see it. You have to really, if you say it out loud, no, that’s not gonna work, no way. But if you see it, then you start to feel it. And it’s even sweeter if that moment comes, if that day comes, but there was, I’m sure, a myriad of plans.”
Rhodes revealed that he was afraid to pitch his creative ideas to the AEW roster, as he feared that his ideas may fail. He also said that he was too young to take the creative decisions for the company and should have only performed in the ring.
During his time as EVP, Rhodes contributed to AEW by shaping the matches and angles for the AEW pay-per-views, such as Double or Nothing, All Out, Full Gear, and Revolution. He was also responsible for overseeing the production and storytelling of AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage.
Despite his considerable success in WWE now, his time in AEW remains one of the primary factors contributing to his growth and achievements.
