When the news of Cody Rhodes leaving AEW came out earlier this year, it stunned fans as he was preparing to make a return to WWE once he couldn’t reach an agreement for a new deal with Tony Khan.
Fightful Select reported today that in speaking with Warner Bros Discovery sources, there were several efforts made within the company to retain Rhodes in AEW.
Rhodes created a solid relationship with WarnerMedia through working on AEW, Rhodes to the Top, and Go Big Show programming. The report stated that the Rhodes WWE deal wasn’t official until a few weeks before WrestleMania, even though WWE considered it a foregone conclusion.
Warner Bros. Discovery Wanted Rhodes to Stay
The report noted that after the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery, “there were inquiries in the company completely separate from AEW to gauge Rhodes’ interest in staying.”
Some sources told Fightful that an effort was made to reach out to Rhodes through Sam Linskey, who serves as Associate General Manager and Senior Vice President of Scripted Original programming for TNT, TBS, and TruTv.
There wasn’t any ill will between either side, and Rhodes had told those who asked that it was “time to leave the territory.” He made similar comments in various interviews.
Due to the Rhodes’ connections across multiple Warner Bros. Discovery shows, they were also contacted to possibly participate in the UpFronts.
WBD sources said they would have loved it if Rhodes had stayed, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker. Sources within the company said they’ve been happy with AEW, particularly with their numbers in September.
