The WWE Universe popped when Cody Rhodes made his grand return to the company at WrestleMania 38, defeating Seth “Freakin” Rollins in the process.
Months before, Rhodes’ contract expired with All Elite Wrestling. He continued to work backstage and on-screen for a period of time afterwards as the two sides tried to negotiate a new deal. In February though, news broke that Rhodes, and his wife Brandi, were officially leaving the company after failing to lock in a new agreement. This move left a major void in AEW, as Rhodes emerged as a prominent figure in the company, both in the ring and behind-the-scenes as an Executive Vice President.
AEW President Tony Khan recently addressed Rhodes’ departure, and the challenge it presented at the time. “Whenever you lose a star the caliber of Cody Rhodes, it’s going to have a major, major impact on your company,” he told Fightful’s Grapsody podcast. “It’s gonna affect a number of different departments and number of different things in terms of the presentation and the backstage. Personally, I really like Cody and I know Cody really well and during his time here, he was so involved in so many different facets of the start of AEW and what we were. When he left, that was a major challenge.”
Putting The Pieces Back Together
Despite the setback, Tony Khan managed to pull together “so many great stories” ahead of the company’s Revolution pay-per-view in March that “helped keep us strong” and the fans invested in the product. At the same time though, Kenny Omega, another major star, remained absent from programming due to several injuries.
With the absence of two of the company’s biggest stars, Khan noticeably leaned on Jon Moxley as one of the focal points for AEW. Moxley himself went on a hiatus from the company to enter a rehabilitation program for alcohol addiction late last year. The former AEW World Champion later returned in January 2022.
Tony Khan said Moxley’s leave of absence to get help “was the best thing that could have happened to him.” In addition, Khan believes it was a benefit for the company as well. “It was the best thing that could happen to us to have a healthy Jon Moxley there for the entirety of this year, 2022, to keep the company strong.”
