Two of All Elite Wrestling’s original members have opted to leave the organization.
All Elite Wrestling has parted ways with Cody and Brandi Rhodes. The news was confirmed early Tuesday morning, with separate comments from Rhodes and AEW.
AEW President Tony Khan published a statement on Tuesday confirming Cody and Brandi Rhodes’ departures:
Cody was one of the promotion’s four founders and served as an executive vice president as well as an on-air star, while Brandi worked as a wrestler and chief branding officier. In January, it was revealed that Rhodes was working for AEW without a contract, which he subsequently acknowledged.
“Cody and Brandi Rhodes were integral to the launch of All Elite Wrestling. Cody’s ability combined with his boldness and his passion for our industry and his love for community outreach helped AEW deliver on our mission to give fans what they needed for far too long—something new, innovative and lasting,” Tony Khan wrote.
“Brandi helped us shape the AEW story, and I appreciate how hard she fought for us both in the ring and out of the ring, competing in the women’s division while advancing our efforts at inclusion and civic causes, including great partnerships with Kulture City and the American Heart Association. I have immense respect and appreciation for Cody and Brandi, and I wish them both the best as they move on from AEW.”
Cody made a statement on his leaving minutes after Khan’s announcement, saying, “I have loved my time at AEW. Amazing locker room. Amazing fans. Amazing people. The ‘revolution’ was indeed televised, and I’ve been incredibly lucky to be part of that. First, I want to thank Tony Khan. He’s taken the baton and run with it, and it was an honor to work for him and to know him on a personal level. He’s a beautiful soul. Obviously need to thank my incredible wife and the mother of my baby girl, Brandi, for all of her love and support throughout this journey together and the amazing relationships she fostered with Kulture City and the American Heart Association. I also need to thank Nick and Matt Jackson (these two, whether they know it or not, took an undesired and not confident lir cub and gifted me the confidence to become a leader of the pack), Kenneth Omega, Chris Jericho, Chicken…we started the fire. I must thank Tim W/Keith M/Greg W and the amazing production crew who understood and captured the vision with such grace. I can’t name everybody, but thank you to Megha, Margaret, Harrington, Jeff Jones, Dana, Tony Schiavone, Bern, Raf, and the hardest worker in the game, QT Marshall, for propping me up and kicking me in the ass when I was running on fumes. I must thank all my kiddos… MJF, Jade, Sammy, Darby, Lee, Ricky, Tom, The Gunns, Brock, Velvet, Nyla, Aubrey, Turner, Vanilla, Solo, Spears, Julia, Anna, Will, Wardlow, Sonny, Fuego 1 and of course, -1. While we’re at it, give Jade the Codyvator!
“Also need to take a moment to thank the great partners at Warner Media including Brett, Sam and the rest of the team,” he continued. “I have so many milestones and beautiful memories of this renaissance…through sweat, blood, tears, literal fire, and all that…I left it all on the mat. Everything pales in comparison to the final contribution I was empowered to lead at the company, the community outreach team. In the most inward moments, your outward behavior and your ability to take fame/influence and do something of value for the communities you visit (whether the cameras are on or off) is the highest honor. I am confident Amanda Huber will lead the department with style. I’m so proud of my creations and contributions and the items I supported or collaborated on with such wonderful professionals. Thank you, fans. Y’all did the work! Let’s live forever.”
Rhodes’ status and popularity inside AEW have been dwindling for much of the last year, so it’s odd why he’d depart now. Cody was never able to recapture the magic of his early headline matchups in the promotion, including a famous performance versus his brother Dustin at Double or Nothing in 2019, often recognized as the year’s best match in any organization. Since then, his character and plot in AEW have never connected with audiences in the same manner, leading to Rhodes being booed everytime he appeared. Initially, it was assumed that Rhodes would turn heel (become a “bad guy” in wrestling speak), but Rhodes was adamant that he wanted to stay a fan favorite, despite the audience’s opposition.
Cody was a crucial member of AEW. All-In, an independent wrestling show co-promoted by him and the Young Bucks in partnership with Ring of Honor, was the AEW’s genesis. The event was the first non-WWE or WCW professional wrestling event to sell 10,000 tickets in the United States since 1993. Cody has the most AEW TNT championship reigns with three, and the second-longest cumulative title reign with two. Cody and Brandi are both featured of the TNT reality show Rhodes to the Top, with the latter having brief stints in the ring. Cody was a judge on the network’s Go-Big Show for two seasons, with Rosario Dawson, T-Pain, Jennifer Nettles, Bert Kreischer, and, formerly, Snoop Dogg.
