AEW owner, CEO and general manager Tony Khan was not surprised when Cody Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38. Rhodes and his wife Brandi split from AEW earlier this year.
“He didn’t want to be here and based on the conversations we had – he never told me directly – but it was obvious that’s exactly what was happening,” Khan told ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.
Tony Khan said his feelings towards Cody Rhodes haven’t changed, not that Rhodes is officially back in WWE. Khan was hesitant to talk about how he felt about seeing one of AEW’s founding VPs in WWE programming.
“Nothing I want to comment on,” Khan said. “Like I said, I appreciate the things that Cody and his wife, Brandi Rhodes, have done in AEW and I’ve seen Cody show up in WWE. Like I said, he showed up there – it’s still true: I still love him and wish him well. I’m thankful for the things he did at AEW. We have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours together and know each other very well. I think we parted on good terms.”
Cody Rhodes is the first big name to leave AEW and then sign with WWE. Since its inception, AEW has been an attractive destination for former WWE talent. Tony Khan sees talent moving between companies as the natural order for the industry.
“It’s not uncommon to see stars from other promotions, including WWE to AEW,” Khan said. “I think it’s a little bit different now to see a star from AEW go to WWE TV. I think over the years – we’re a young promotion – it was bound to happen sooner or later. And now it is.”
Fans have speculated as to who might be the next big name to make the switch from AEW to WWE. One of AEW’s top stars, MJF, has spoken publicly about his own contract status and future plans. Tony Khan says he expects future bidding wars for some of the biggest names at AEW.
“We have a lot of great wrestlers here,” Khan explained. “I assume there will probably be interest in some of them later because we put on such strong shows. I think there will inevitably be free agent movements on both sides of the competition. I think it’s great for the wrestlers.”
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