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I recall when WWE was making their cuts and releasing talent, WWE was getting hammered in the media (rightfully so, for the most part). Now with this Cody/Kahn situation, where is the same heat for Kahn and AEW?
There is no reason for criticism. Khan didn't fire or release Cody. He just didn't pay Cody what he asked for in negotiations. Khan did not cut Cody. He didn't release him either. They simply couldn't come to terms on a new deal. That is far, far different from what WWE has done.
Cody was a pillar for AEW and has been stated many times, was the flag bearer for the company. How can Kahn let him walk? I keep hearing Kahn has all this money, so why would money be an issue for one of the most important people in the history of the company? It's not like Cody is at the end of his career either.
Why would he let him go? Simple, he didn't think Cody was worth what he was asking for. That happens in business all the time. Cody was a pillar of the company when it started, no doubt, but since then look at all of the talent that the company has signed. Would you take Cody over Brian Danielson? Or CM Punk? Of course not. And there is also the fact that the fans have turned on Cody as well. Again, it was business.
With Cody gone, what happens with Arn Anderson?
For now, he continues in his backstage role. As for his TV role? To be determined.
Now that the news has come out with Cody leaving AEW…why in the world would he go back to WWE, where he was treated so poorly, and was the reason he got into doing AEW? Does he really think a leopard can change his spots?
If he goes back to WWE (and I am with you, I don’t know why he would), he had better be prepared to be booked really badly. He helped start a company that took on WWE. That usually doesn’t sit well with Vince McMahon. After all, just look at how Vince booked Cody’s father.
Dynamite’s big ratings drop this week feels like a real rebuke of AEW, doesn’t it? It sucks too, because in a vacuum, Keith Lee and Jay White are great additions to the show, but fans wanted (many expected) a needle-mover like John Cena, Shane McMahon or HHH (no matter how unrealistic that was), and since they didn’t get one they tuned out. Cody leaving was just the capper. Now online discussion is all about is Jericho next, how long until his contract is up, when is Moxley’s contract up, what does this mean for Dustin, Arn, Tully, the Nightmare Factory, etc. A massive tonal shift from just last week, when people were so hyped and positive. Now it’s all about who is next out the door. Obviously the company isn’t in trouble as long as Tony Khan keeps cutting the checks (to everyone but Cody, apparently), but doesn’t this feel like the point where AEW stopped being the next big thing and became just another wrestling company?
First, don’t pay attention to what people speculate about online. It’s just that, speculation. Cody’s situation was unique to him. As I said on the show with Mike Johnson last week, I think Cody made it easy on Tony Khan. I don’t know if Tony wanted to keep Cody or not, but once he asked for more than Tony wanted to pay, he had every right to let Cody walk. As for the audience drop, I expected it. Tony Khan promised a top tier addition and made expectations ridiculously high. I love Keith Lee and Jay White. Had Tony not raised expectations to a ridiculous level, they would have been seen as great additions. With the hype, instead he disappointed some people. He needs to stop making those Dixie Carter-esque statements. They never worked for her and they haven’t worked for him. It’s a shame too because Dynamite was really good. The CM Punk promo was one of the best piece of business I have seen in a long time.
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