Cody Rhodes’ time with AEW has been and gone, or it may just be on hold for the foreseeable future at least. With Rhodes’ immediate next steps being taken elsewhere, one of the founding fathers of AEW sensationally left the company at the start of 2022, which took the wrestling world by surprise. During the three years he spent in the company, he had some of the best storylines within the entire industry, some incredible matches, but some completely dud feuds. When looking back at his time in the company, what will it mostly be remembered for?

Rhodes’ Early Feuds In AEW Produced Classics

Along with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, Rhodes became an EVP of the young promotion, helping to grow it from the ground up, with the backing of the owner, Tony Khan. The old Elite was responsible for spawning the idea of a new company, with Rhodes being such a huge part of that, helping to spearhead the creation of AEW. All those names involved will always be remembered for leading the charge to establish the second-biggest promotion in America.

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His first match against Dustin Rhodes, held at the first-ever Double or Nothing PPV, took the world by storm too, stealing the show on what was a historic night, with the two brothers finally getting the chance to prove what they could accomplish when given the right amount of time and story. For some, this is still AEW’s most emotional and intense matchup to date, even with the classics that have taken place over the last few years. Following this, Rhodes helped to establish Darby Allin as the future of the company with a great time-limit draw, which put Allin on the map.

Cody Rhodes promo

Once AEW made the move to TV, Rhodes was the most over babyface in the entire company, and his feuds with both Chris Jericho and MJF are still two of the best programs to date in AEW. Rhodes’ promo work was sensational, and memorable segments such as The Inner Circle’s parody video, and MJF’s ten lashes to Rhodes, are all-time moments. Rhodes would eventually become the very first TNT Champion, and his feud with Mr. Brodie Lee produced some brilliant moments and a brutal Dog Collar Match. His TNT Title run helped to bring in the likes of Ricky Starks and Eddie Kingston, with his TNT Title Open Challenge being a big highlight. Even his feud with Shaquille O’Neill brought about a memorable match.

Fans Eventually Turned On Babyface Cody Rhodes

Things started going downhill not long later, as Rhodes’ feud with QT Marshall didn’t impress the audience. When he progressed to facing Anthony Ogogo, the fans began to slowly turn on Rhodes. The USA vs foreign heel concept is one that has been used far too often in wrestling, and it is a tired trope. Rhodes’ promos came across as pandering, and it didn’t click.

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Cody Rhodes Anthony Ogogo AEW Weigh In

His feud with Malakai Black truly turned the fans against him, as his tease of retirement didn’t resonate, and his feud of “light vs dark” forcibly pushed him as the hero, and it came across as cliché and unnatural, from the bright white suits to Rhodes finally overcoming his evil opponent. Rhodes began to display heel tendencies, but also over-the-top babyface antics, and the lines were blurred at times over whether this was a slow-burn turn, or if he was trying to be a hero. This made for a fascinating dynamic, but before it had time to play out, he was gone.

Rhodes’ Time In AEW Will Eventually Be Looked Back On Fondly

Rhodes’ time in AEW should be remembered for his hand in helping to build what fans see today, helping to establish the likes of MJF, Eddie Kingston, Darby Allin, and more recently, Sammy Guevara. He has had countless classic matches, wrestling in the first Steel Cage and Dog Collar matches, stealing the show many times over the years, especially within the early stages of AEW. His legacy should be those classic rivalries, and the brilliant babyface run he had at the start.

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Cody Rhodes Vs Brodie Lee

However, his most recent feuds and matches are still fresh in the memories of the audience, with a babyface run that could only be described as disastrous since the direction of his character was never resolved. For a while, the end of his time in AEW will be the focus, but in time, his more successful moments will be what fans look back on, and fondly. Rhodes managed to raise his star power an obscene amount since he first left WWE, and he helped build a huge new company, and his AEW run will be remembered in a hugely positive way eventually.