Cody Rhodes

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Latest on Cody Rhodes Possibly Joining WWE

It reportedly remains uncertain if free-agent wrestler Cody Rhodes will sign with WWE after departing All Elite Wrestling.

According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline (h/t Bhupen Dange of Ringside News), negotiations between WWE and Rhodes "hit a snag" and Rhodes is now considering multiple offers on the table.

Meltzer added that WWE wants Rhodes to make a decision soon, which suggests the company may want him in the fold for WrestleMania 38, which will take place April 2 and 3 in Arlington, Texas.

Rhodes and AEW both announced last month that Cody was leaving the company, which instantly led to rumors and speculation regarding Rhodes signing with WWE.

It was widely assumed Rhodes was heading back to WWE for the first time since requesting his release in 2016, but recent reports have created some doubt.

Last week, Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net reported that talks between WWE and Rhodes had "fizzled," leading to renewed hope within AEW that Cody would come back and potentially have a role within the recently purchased Ring of Honor.

One can only assume WWE would love to have Rhodes back in the company due to what it would mean symbolically.

Several Superstars have willingly left and signed with AEW over the past few years, including Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole. Rhodes would be the first to flip the script.

Aside from being one of AEW's top on-screen stars, Rhodes helped found the company and was an executive vice president.

If WWE and Rhodes still do have mutual interest, getting a deal done soon would be best for both parties so Cody could show up either at WrestleMania in front of tens of thousands of fans, or perhaps the next night on Raw.

Sid Reportedly Expected to Be Inducted Into WWE HOF

Former WWE champion Sid reportedly may be set to join The Undertaker and Vader as part of the WWE Hall of Fame's class of 2022.

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast, plans are in place for Sid to enter WWE's hallowed hall.

Sid wrestled under many different names during his pro wrestling career in WWE and WCW. He was known as both Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in WWE and primarily went by Sid Vicious in WCW.

His first huge break occurred in WWE when he main-evented WrestleMania 8 against Hulk Hogan. Sid wasn't with WWE for much longer after that, as he returned to WCW, but he came back to WWE in 1995 and won the WWE Championship twice before leaving again in 1997.

During his third stint in WCW, Sid went on a dominant run and took on the nickname of "The Millennium Man," winning the WCW World Championship twice in the year 2000.

If the near-7-footer does get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, it would be fitting due to the people he would be sharing the class with.

Sid had some memorable encounters with The Undertaker in WWE, including facing him in the main event of WrestleMania 13.

Meanwhile, Sid joined forces and teamed with Vader in WCW before wrestling against him on multiple occasions in WWE.

Although Sid wasn't known for putting on five-star classics in the ring, he was hugely popular among the fans and is undoubtedly deserving of a Hall of Fame induction.

Jim Ross Talks Stone Cold's Reaction to WrestleMania Role

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is set to appear on a special edition of The KO Show with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38, but AEW announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross suggested this week that Austin isn't necessarily over the moon about his WrestleMania involvement.

During a discussion on his Grilling JR podcast (h/t Nitish Vashishtha of Ringside News), Ross said the following about Austin at WrestleMania in his home state of Texas:

"It looks like Austin is not going to do anything at WrestleMania as far as wrestling in the ring. He and I have talked, but at the time we talked, he didn't know what he was going to do and he didn't sound overwhelmingly enthusiastic about it. People have to understand that Steve is a perfectionist. Even though he stays in great shape and he looks wonderful, especially for a guy his age, he looks great. He can do a photo shoot and it looks like that can be Steve from any era, but that's the athlete in him. He likes to train, eat right, and all those things."

Rumors ran rampant of Austin having his first match since WrestleMania 19 amid Owens expressing his hatred for the state of Texas on a weekly basis.

On Monday's Raw, Owens called out Austin for WrestleMania but framed it as an appearance on The KO Show rather than an actual match.

Austin responded Tuesday in a video on WWE's Twitter account, accepting Owens' invitation and vowing to punish KO for the things he said about Texas:

While Austin didn't call it a match, he referenced his WrestleMania 19 loss to The Rock, and his wording made it sound like his segment with Owens would see him mixing it up in the ring one last time.

If the 57-year-old Austin has any reservations about having a match 19 years after retiring, however, it may be a big part of the reason why he wasn't enthusiastic when speaking to Ross.

Now that the segment between Austin and Owens is being presented more as a confrontation than a match, it may be more in line with what The Texas Rattlesnake is comfortable doing.

Regardless of how it is framed, a segment with Austin and Owens cutting promos followed by Austin hitting Owens with a Stone Cold Stunner and drinking some beer is something that the fans figure to love.

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Styles Reportedly Gets Big Money, Perks in New WWE Deal

AJ Styles is reportedly sticking with WWE for the foreseeable future, and he'll receive significant compensation to do so.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Michael Perry of Ringside News), Styles' WWE contract was set to expire in the spring or summer, but he recently signed a new deal that is expected to pay him over $3 million per year.

Fightful also reported that Styles will receive some additional perks as part of the contract, including extra bus travel accommodations.

WWE reportedly moved quickly to re-sign Styles before he could hit free agency and speak with other companies, and The Phenomenal One is "very happy" in WWE.

While Fightful was unsure of the length of Styles' new contract, Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Mitch Waddon of Cultaholic) in January that it was either a three- or five-year deal.

Styles is 44 years old, meaning his new contract could conceivably take him to the end of his in-ring career.

Although Styles hasn't made any definitive statements regarding when he wants to retire, he has remained loyal to WWE publicly.

In 2019, Styles said he would like to retire as part of WWE. Then, in January, the veteran said he would like to potentially work with young wrestlers at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, once he retires.

At over $3 million per year, Styles is likely one of the highest-paid performers on WWE's roster, which speaks to how WWE chairman Vince McMahon views him.

Styles has achieved more than most likely expected when he signed with WWE in 2016 after stints with Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, including holding the WWE Championship twice.

AJ is back on his own again after teaming with Omos for several months, and WWE may be ramping up for a Styles vs. Edge dream match at WrestleMania 38.

Pat McAfee Gives Troll Response to Rhodes Leaving AEW

SmackDown announcer Pat McAfee joked about Cody Rhodes leaving AEW and possibly signing with WWE on his show Tuesday.

During the Pat McAfee Show (h/t WrestlingInc's Eric Mutter), McAfee ran down Rhodes before revealing that he would be excited to see Cody come back to WWE:

"I guess Cody Rhodes is coming to WWE. I guess. Who cares dude? Him and his little friends started something, it was terrible. We actually went head to head on Wednesday, we beat them a couple different times. Who cares dude? To hell with Cody Rhodes. Now people are going to think I'm starting an angle with Cody Rhodes. ...

"I'm actually pretty pumped if Cody's coming back. Obviously a massive name in sports entertainment. If he's coming to Smackdown, I'm excited about it. Cody Rhodes is going to be cool, though, in WWE."

McAfee alluded to his previous appearances on NXT and the fact that NXT and AEW used to go head-to-head on Wednesday nights.

AEW Dynamite won the ratings battle most of the time, and NXT eventually moved to Tuesdays before transitioning to NXT 2.0, which puts a bigger spotlight on younger and less-experienced performers.

AEW, Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes all released statements last week, making it official that Cody and Brandi were leaving the company after helping found it in 2019.

Cody's announcement came as something of a shock to wrestling fans since he was among the promotion's top stars as a three-time TNT champion, and he was also an executive vice president behind the scenes.

No official announcement has been made regarding Cody's next step in wrestling, but  PWTorch's Wade Keller (h/t WrestlingInc's Sai Mohan) reported Rhodes is WWE bound and in line for a "big push."

Keller also reported that Rhodes will appear at WrestleMania 38, whether it be for his debut appearance or a major match.

McAfee was likely joking around and looking to make some headlines by discussing a hot topic like he often does, but an angle between McAfee and Rhodes would likely do big business for WWE if Cody does indeed return to the fold.

Bischoff Not Surprised Rhodes Decided to Leave AEW

While Cody's AEW departure was among the most shocking pieces of wrestling news in recent memory for most, former WCW president Eric Bischoff wasn't surprised.

Speaking about the topic on his 83 Weeks podcast (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Bischoff gave his take on Rhodes leaving the company he helped found:

"I'm not surprised—not nearly as surprised as everybody else is, and it's not because I have any inside information or speak to Cody. Cody and I text back and forth every couple of months maybe. Look, I was more surprised that Cody left WWE.

"Let's think about that for a minute. You're 30 years old and on the biggest stage in the world in your particular industry. Yeah, you might be saddled with a character or gimmick you don't like, but guess what? You're making damn good money that you could probably retire on in five to 10 years if you're smart. But he was willing to walk away from that because he wasn't satisfied. It reminded me of his dad."

Cody left WWE in 2016, ending a decade-long run with the company. He held the Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships, but he never ascended to the role of being a top guy.

He was also stuck with a Stardust gimmick that he played well but capped where he could go on the card and what he could accomplish.

Upon leaving WWE, Rhodes established himself as a main-event player in Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling, and he was an important part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling as well.

He also helped change the business by ushering in AEW and helping form a second major company to provide an alternative to WWE for the first time since WCW folded in 2001.

Still, something apparently left Rhodes unsatisfied in AEW, whether it be money, creative control or something else.

Cody figures to have even less creative control if he goes to WWE, but it is still the top of the mountain as far as wrestling promotions go, and if he can be one of WWE's top stars, he will gain more popularity and attention than ever before.

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When fans speculated about who would be the first Superstar to swim against the strong current and leave All Elite Wrestling for WWE, Cody Rhodes was so distant a thought, so unlikely, that most probably didn't bother putting his name on the list.

But he might just be the first.

That's still stuck in the land of speculation now for now. AEW President Tony Khan recently announced that Cody and Brandi Rhodes were leaving the company, and Cody released a statement of his own. According to Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, Rhodes has talked with WWE about a return.

Prerequisites out of the way, it's easy to hand-wave this sort of move as a major win for WWE. And it is—WWE had drastically bled talent to AEW, ranging from modern legends like Bryan Danielson to guys finally getting to spread their creative wings like Malakai Black, to name but two. It was also AEW, not WWE, that lured CM Punk out of his seven-year hiatus.

But the line of thought that says it's great for WWE would also seem to imply that it's bad for AEW.

Hardly.

It's awkward losing an executive vice president who helped establish the promotion. But it's also hardly surprising. After some stunning feuds and moments (remember the 10 lashings?) in AEW's infancy, Cody's momentum sputtered, and a hiatus didn't help. He was either unwilling or unable to go heel, and by making good on a stipulation that he would never challenge for the company's top title, he started to lose ground with fans.

Speculation about why Cody wouldn't change up his character aside (the Cena-ish vibes and non-wrestling stuff sticks out), he just wasn't generating reactions in the same way another guy who has been there from the beginning like, say, Chris Jericho still does. Doing things like going through a flaming table and such stuck out in a weird way, not an endearing one. That Brandi didn't seem to be winning over fans either probably didn't help matters.

If and when Cody lands in WWE, he's hardly going to get lost in midcard or tag team purgatory. WWE's not going to spend the cash to get him back and not use him prominently. It is not going to miss a chance to highlight that it has managed to swipe an executive vice president from its main competition.

And that's great for AEW.

The last thing AEW wants is for anyone, but especially not a big name, to leave the company, go to WWE and be a jobber. That Cody will go over and likely hang around in a main event scene with the likes of Roman Reigns would just lend credibility to AEW and what it is doing, giving off an air of legitimacy. Cody effectively left WWE as Stardust—his return after an AEW stint as a monster main eventer would be quite the rebound.

Not only that, but also having Cody as a subtle AEW advertisement on the biggest wrestling show in town would also mean more free roster space for the company. That means more potential time on broadcasts for other Superstars with long-term futures in AEW. Cody's segments, even late in his run, weren't outright bad, but they tended to feel tonally different from the rest of the shows. The awkward no-title stipulation, standing as a founder, different feel, it's all removed now.

We could speculate endlessly on why Cody has left. Maybe he didn't vibe with the direction in which the other founders were taking it (this wouldn't be the first startup to have that issue). Maybe the presence of guys like Danielson and Punk in the locker room left up-and-comers gravitating to them instead as mentors. Maybe he just realized he straight up likes the formulaic WWE approach best.

Whatever the reason, Cody's got the lineage and talent to excel anywhere. But while WWE will try to drum this up as a massive win in the pro wrestling war, there's an angle wherein AEW gets a win with it too. It's less obvious and won't have WWE's marketing and hype men beating fans over the head with it, but it will be there.

And given how this has developed unexpectedly, maybe in a few years we'll be talking about how Cody's coming back to AEW anyway. But at this point in time, the company losing a name as big as Rhodes isn't going to be the loss it would appear to be at face value.

WWE has reportedly discussed bringing in YouTuber and boxer Logan Paul to team with The Miz against Rey and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 38.

According to PWInsider's Mike Johnson, WWE's current plan is for Paul to aid Miz during his feud with the Mysterios, and it may result in a tag team match at WrestleMania.

Fightful Select followed up with a report that confirmed WWE has discussed a Miz and Paul tag team. It was also reported that neither Cody Rhodes nor John Morrison was mentioned as a potential partner for Miz within WWE despite speculation to the contrary.

After losing to Rey Mysterio on the Elimination Chamber Kickoff Show in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, The Miz took issue with Dominik's presence at ringside and suggested it cost him the match. As a result, he said in a backstage interview that he would find himself a tag team partner.

Miz referred to his potential partner as a "superlative athlete" and "global superstar," which led to plenty of speculation from fans.

Rhodes was a popular choice since he announced his departure from AEW this week. The news came as a shock since Rhodes was one of AEW's top stars, an executive vice president and one of the company's founders.

It isn't yet known if Rhodes is officially going back to WWE, but PWTorch's Wade Keller (h/t Wrestling Inc's Sai Mohan) reported this week that Cody is indeed signing with WWE and will receive a "big push" when he does.

Morrison was another name batted around by fans since he and Miz are longtime friends and tag team partners who held tag team titles together three times in WWE.

They teamed together at last year's WrestleMania, losing to Damian Priest and award-winning musician Bad Bunny.

WWE released Morrison from his contract in November, and while he hasn't resurfaced anywhere else since then, a WWE return doesn't appear to be in the cards.

Since Miz has successfully worked with celebrities many times during his WWE career, Paul would be a sensible choice for his partner.

Celebrity involvement has been a huge part of WrestleMania since its inception, and last year was no different. In addition to Bad Bunny having a match, Paul was present for the bout between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.

Paul appeared on SmackDown a few times leading up to WrestleMania, and Paul took a stunner from Owens after KO beat Zayn at WrestleMania 37.

Since Paul did well with WWE last year and has a sizable following, it stands to reason that the company would like to have him involved with its biggest pay-per-view spectacle once again.

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Cody Reportedly WWE-Bound, Set for Big Push

After AEW and Cody Rhodes mutually announced Tuesday that they were parting ways, multiple reports emerged that Rhodes was in discussions with WWE.

While nothing is official, PWTorch's Wade Keller (h/t WrestlingInc's Sai Mohan) reported that Rhodes is indeed going to sign with WWE, where he will receive a "big push."

Keller noted that sources told him WWE Chairman Vince McMahon "loves" the idea of signing someone who co-founded AEW and served as an executive vice president. The expectation is Rhodes will appear on WWE programming soon.

While Rhodes never held the AEW World Championship, he was a key cog behind the scenes and was also presented as one of the company's top stars, holding the TNT Championship three times.

Cody held the TNT title as recently as the Jan. 26 edition of Dynamite, which is when he dropped it to Sammy Guevara in a ladder match.

Keller reported that he expects Rhodes to either compete in a match at WrestleMania 38 in April or make his first appearance for the company on that show.

He also said he could see Rhodes appearing on WWE programming as soon as next week in order to build up to a WrestleMania match.

Rhodes began his wrestling career in WWE, signing a developmental deal in 2006 and remaining with the promotion until his requested release was granted in 2016.

While he never ascended to a main event level during his first WWE run, Rhodes experienced plenty of success, holding the Intercontinental Championship twice and tag team titles six times.

There have been several WWE-to-AEW defections already, including Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole, but Rhodes would be the first major star to go from AEW to WWE.

Because of that, it would make sense for WWE to position Cody in a big spot if and when he makes the leap.

WWE Reportedly Planning Another "Austin-Level" Surprise for WrestleMania

Rumors and speculation are already running rampant that WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin will return to the ring at WrestleMania 38, but that may not be the only surprise WWE has up its sleeve.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Michael Perry of Ringside News), the current plan is for Austin to compete at WrestleMania, likely in a match against Kevin Owens on the heels of Owens running down the state of Texas on Monday night's episode of Raw.

Meltzer added that WWE has another surprise in store for WrestleMania as well, and noted that it is at an "Austin level."

He then proceeded to list The Rock, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and John Cena as talents that could be considered "Austin level" if they were to appear at WrestleMania.

While Hogan and Flair would likely be unable to wrestle a match at WrestleMania or any time in the future, the others could.

The Rock hasn't had a match with an actual build since WrestleMania 29 nearly a decade ago, but with Roman Reigns doing the best work of his career, there is some belief The Rock could face his cousin at some point.

Cena is no longer a full-time wrestler due to his commitments in Hollywood, much like The Rock, but he returned for a program with Reigns over the summer.

The Undertaker retired after WrestleMania 36 nearly two years ago and has not had a match since then, but he left the door open to at least listen to McMahon if he were to pitch him a match.

Meltzer noted that both The Rock and Cena are busy with filming, but if it is just a one-off appearance for WrestleMania, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that one of them could show up.

Perhaps the biggest thing WWE could do would be for The Rock to appear after the main event match between Reigns and Brock Lesnar in order to set the stage for The Rock vs. Reigns at WrestleMania 39 in Inglewood, California.

Jericho Reportedly Under Contract with AEW Until 2024

While Rhodes may be making the leap from AEW to WWE, that reportedly won't be the case for Chris Jericho any time soon.

According to Meltzer (h/t Perry), Jericho signed a two-year contract extension with AEW in January 2020, and his contract is not set to expire until January 2024.

Jericho was the inaugural AEW world champion, and he played a huge role in establishing the credibility of the promotion when it was in its infancy.

While Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks were stars in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and other companies, Jericho was a top guy in WWE, holding the world title on six occasions.

Other wrestlers who enjoyed success in WWE have gone to AEW since then, including Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson and CM Punk, but Jericho was the one who started the trend.

While the 51-year-old veteran hasn't been near the top of the card in recent months, he is still an integral part of the AEW roster. In addition to his own matches and promo work, he has made it known that he enjoys sharing his knowledge with the rest of the roster.

Jericho would likely be a name of interest for WWE when his contract expires since he has a long history with the company and with McMahon.

At 53 years old, Jericho may not have been of interest to WWE as a full-time performer, but WWE would likely have been open to signing him to a legends contract and putting him in the Hall of Fame.

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All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President Cody and Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes, key figures in the creation of wrestling's hottest promotion, are out after failing to come to terms on a new contract with the company.

CEO, President, General Manager and Head of Creative Tony Khan revealed the Rhodes' departure Tuesday morning via AEW social media accounts.

Immediately following the bombshell announcement, discussion turned to The American Nightmare rejoining the company that introduced him to a worldwide audience in the first place: WWE.

WrestleVotes reported Tuesday that Rhodes is fully expected to join the company.

With WrestleMania 38 looming and a company seeking to draw a record-breaking audience to AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Rhodes is the perfect star to help bolster the card and drum up genuine excitement, anticipation and intrigue for wrestling's most prestigious event.

But who would be a perfect dance partner for the second-generation star on The Grandest Stage of Them All?

Seth Rollins

Without any other clear and obvious opponents lined up at this point, The Visionary would be the perfect match for an incoming Rhodes.

Not only do the in-ring styles in question mesh perfectly, so do the characters.

Rhodes would be welcomed back in grand fashion, the proverbial red carpet rolled out for him. Much like he did with Edge, Rollins would take exception to being passed over once again and revert to mind games. Imagine the former WWE champion stepping through the curtain in a Goldust- or Stardust-inspired blazer? What if he rocked a black suit with yellow polka dots, just really toying with the psyche of Rhodes?

Not only would the story and match work, the idea that Rhodes was being brought back and placed in a program with one of the company's biggest stars announces to the WWE Universe that this is not the same guy who left back in 2016 for greener pastures. He is a star, should be considered as much and will be put in a position to work with them.

AJ Styles

Styles, like Rhodes, will forever be tied to a company that provided a real alternative to the WWE product. With no other program currently obvious for The Phenomenal One, a feud that pits two revolutionary performers against each other on the grand stage is one with a ton of meat on the bone.

Let them cut promos about finding success elsewhere and building legacies for themselves but having the unwavering hunger to prove themselves in wrestling's biggest company.

The match will sell itself, and the in-ring work will support it.

Maybe not the flashiest match, but Rhodes vs. Styles would have every opportunity to steal a WrestleMania card that will be jam-packed with stars and championship clashes.

Drew McIntyre

The third option, while almost certainly ensuring a great match, is a bit of a Catch-22.

McIntyre does not have any clear and present WrestleMania programs available to him once he blows through Madcap Moss at Elimination Chamber. He would make a great opponent for Rhodes, another one of those stars who had success in WWE but left to discover himself elsewhere before returning a bigger star and better wrestler than before.

That they are former tag team champions together only helps fuel the story.

McIntyre is also likely to challenge Roman Reigns after WrestleMania, which makes a match for Rhodes increasingly difficult.

Surely, WWE is not going to book The American Nightmare to lose in his first major match. Conversely, it is not going to slate McIntyre to lose when he is going to play such a pivotal part of storylines moving forward.

Rhodes' sudden introduction to plans will certainly alter things. Maybe that delays McIntyre's run and opens him up for a match he would certainly not win.

Either way, it is an option for WWE if it opts not to roll with Rollins or Styles as the first opponents for Rhodes on his potential reentry to the company.

Prediction: Rhodes feuds with Rollins in high-profile, main event-worthy WrestleMania blockbuster

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Stone Cold Returning at WrestleMania 38?

While the top two matches at WrestleMania are set, WWE is reportedly looking at another potential blockbuster bout for the biggest show of the year. 

Per Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.), WWE has made a "significant overture" to Stone Cold Steve Austin about working a match on the card. 

At the very least, "most" people in WWE anticipate Austin will have some sort of physical role at WrestleMania. 

Per Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com, an Austin-Kevin Owens match is being discussed. 

Owens told Corey Graves on After the Bell (starts at :20 mark) in 2019 that Austin gave him the go-ahead to start using the stunner as his finishing move. 

WWE seemed to start teasing the possibility on Raw last night by having Owens insult Texas:

Austin, who is from Texas, last appeared at WrestleMania six years ago. That event, like this year's will be, was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

There are pros and cons to this potential scenario. Having Austin on the card would be a huge win for WWE. He hasn't wrestled a match since losing to The Rock at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. The Rattlesnake is arguably the biggest star in WWE history. 

But potentially using an active wrestler who should be one of the top stars in the company to, presumably, put Austin over on the biggest show of the year doesn't really do Owens any favors. 

Given that so much of WWE's booking is meant to be shortsighted, if Austin is willing to work a match, it might do whatever he wants to make it happen. 

Cody Rhodes, WWE Reunion Coming?

In light of Tuesday's shocking news that Cody Rhodes is a free agent after departing All Elite Wrestling, the obvious question is where will he end up working next?

Per Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Matthew Wilkinson of Wrestling Inc.), there was "chatter within certain circles in WWE" that Rhodes could return to the company. 

Meltzer noted Rhodes' deal with AEW actually expired in December and he had been working with the promotion as a free agent in recent weeks. 

In addition to his work as a wrestler, Rhodes was also an executive vice president for AEW. He has been a key figure in the promotion since its launch in 2019. 

Prior to joining AEW, Rhodes was best known for his time in WWE from 2007 through 2016. He didn't leave the company on great terms, based on his comments about the creative team when he requested his release in May 2016. 

Rhodes was primarily used as a midcard performer in WWE. The 36-year-old was a two-time intercontinental champion and six-time tag-team champion with the promotion during his original run. 

WWE HOF Doesn't Interest Lesnar

Brock Lesnar doesn't care about creating a lasting legacy in WWE. 

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show (h/t Eric Mutter of Wrestling Inc.), Lesnar was asked about people including him on their Mt. Rushmore of professional wrestlers. 

"I don’t care or give a s--t," Lesnar said in response. "I’m serious. Like I don’t give a f--k if I’m in the Hall of Fame or not. I’ve done what I did. I don’t care. I don’t care if I’m leaving a legacy behind. What I do care about is, you know, I’m a good person, a good dad, and all that stuff. That’s important to me."

No one should care about the WWE Hall of Fame. It's a nice part of WrestleMania weekend every year, but a quick look at the people inducted by the company clearly shows it's not meant to be taken seriously. 

Lesnar doesn't need the WWE Hall of Fame to validate his career in any way. The Beast will certainly be inducted at some point if he agrees to go in, but it definitely doesn't seem like something he'll be chasing. 

In any case, Lesnar seems to have a desire to keep wrestling. His run with Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman since returning at SummerSlam is one of the best ongoing storylines in WWE in years. 

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Cody and Brandi Rhodes are leaving All Elite Wrestling. 

AEW President Tony Khan issued a statement Tuesday announcing the departures of both Cody and Brandi Rhodes:

Per Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, Cody has talked with WWE about a potential return to the promotion in the near future. 

Cody Rhodes issued a statement about his departure on Twitter:

The Rhodes family played an instrumental role in the launch of AEW. 

It began in May 2017 when Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer tweeted his skepticism that Ring of Honor could sell out an arena with at least 10,000 fans. 

"Not any time soon," Meltzer wrote, prompting this response from Cody:

That bet eventually led to the first All In pay-per-view at the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago on Sept. 1, 2018. The show sold out the 11,000-seat arena in less than 30 minutes. It also generated 45,000 buys on pay-per-view despite not having weekly television to build and promote the show. 

Following the success of All In, AEW was officially unveiled in January 2019 with Shad Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, announced as co-owner with his son, Tony. 

Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) and Kenny Omega were signed as wrestlers to the roster and executive vice presidents. Brandi Rhodes worked for the promotion as a wrestler and in an executive role as chief brand officer. 

Meltzer reported (h/t Jeremy Lambert of Fightful.com) that Cody and the Young Bucks signed five-year deals with AEW. 

Cody's final match for the promotion came on the Jan. 26 Dynamite: Beach Break. He lost a TNT Championship unification ladder match to Sammy Guevara. 

Son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, Cody began his professional wrestling career in WWE in 2006. He made his main-roster debut in July 2007 in a tag team with Hardcore Holly. The 36-year-old won the intercontinental title three times and tag titles a total of six times. 

Rhodes asked for his release from WWE in May 2016, citing his frustration with the promotion's "broken" creative system. WWE granted Rhodes his release on May 22, 2016. 

Brandi Rhodes, who also worked in WWE as Eden from 2013-16, received her release from the company two days after Cody. 

Cody was the first TNT champion in AEW history. He pinned Lance Archer in the tournament finals at Double or Nothing in May 2020.