Kenny Omega on Cody Rhodes leaving AEW: Wrestling Observer Live

[@stonetic2515]

I hope Cody's first WWE appearance involves him meticulously super-glueing a throne back together.

[@Claire-ing]

lol

[@eledan2666]

While wearing a polka dots outfit :)

[@michaeltom637]

All joking aside, that could be a potentially brilliant babyface story to tell.

[@jansmitowiczauthor78]

He'll be miserable stuck in the midcard or outright buried and embarrassed within a year...or more likely a few months. There is nothing in this world so good and pure that Vince and Bruce and their awful product won't ruin and destroy out of spite, incompetence, and sheer out of touch nitwitedness. No sympy for such foolishness, not after Keith Lee, Dijak, Ricochet, Black, War Raiders, etc. etc.

[@Macgyver00]

☠

[@ChrisManley1994]

“This is probably the big thing that everyone’s been talking about since I guess Monday night, Monday afternoon.” “Stone Cold Steve Austin baby!“ 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@doubles7533]

That was hilarious!

[@aaronlauretani8921]

I love Kenny. He's one of the smartest guys in wrestling.

[@reubenelite]

@@aaronlauretani8921 and funniest too

[@mrowley7300]

Got 316 likes now....seems fitting

[@allthingshollywood2620]

WHAT?

[@apjapki]

Hearing Kenny call it the "Codyverse" makes so much sense for the last few years of AEW. This sounds like absolutely the right move for Cody and for AEW.

[@Yautah]

Idk it's term I've heard before and he might just be quoting it, because its an easy way to sum it up.

[@Syfcobra8549]

What does "Codyverse" means?? I see people posting that but i dond undertand it

[@Yautah]

@@Syfcobra8549 It's a short way to group all the things cody was doing. People call it that because 90% of what cody was doing had zero connection to the rest of the show, like a separate world, hence codyverse.

[@jongee7034]

@@Syfcobra8549 AEW is the Codyverse. We the “fan” mostly consider the inception of AEW/it’s creation, as Cody’s. Once he left WWE, what was an idea became a reality when Cody teamed up with the Young Bucks and Toni and went “all in”. Putting up there own money to push an idea and show the world indie wrestlers deserve a true home for pure technical wrestling. Cody was always the face of AEW Him re joining wwe most have an end goal.

[@LuciusYano]

@@Yautah and really i think its a term that shows the divide between the elite and cody…havent seen them together since LITERALLY the pandemic episode

[@piehnoharmony]

In the beginning stages of forming AEW, Cody made it believable that the WWE was the heel and AEW was the face, so in the end Cody did turned heel by going back to the WWE.

[@PANIKO_LUCHA]

Nice way of looking at it

[@KORNEWARRIOR]

@@PANIKO_LUCHA Delusional way of looking at it.

[@PANIKO_LUCHA]

@@KORNEWARRIOR care to explain?

[@KORNEWARRIOR]

@@PANIKO_LUCHA Cody wasnt getting any love from the fans, his wife and him were getting booed, his contract was underwhelming he wanted more money. So its logical to assume he left because he wasnt happy, not because its a theather angle. Idiot.

[@nonechuks6683]

@@KORNEWARRIOR Cody was making good money, but he wanted to be paid like he's Punk or Danielson, but his work had been suffering for MONTHS and despite people saying we should pivot on his direction, he wanted to stay the course -- obviously to his own detriment. With all that said, TK obviously felt like he wasn't owed a pay raise for that reason.

[@wrestlevibeswithrivenblade3522]

This situation is slightly tragic and largely bittersweet. It's clear these are all passionate people who just had different ideas about what AEW should be, and it showed in how Cody's segments felt so different from everything else on the show at times.

[@Davord]

And I liked his segments the most for that reason

[@prajwalthakare7305]

@@Davord man, same.

[@rishyrish]

we wanted to be like and1 mixtapes and Cody wanted to be viewed as another NBA that's why he left Kenny also said they aren't actually friends outside of work they are just peers and coworkers the more he spoke it made sense why y'all didn't really believe in him or fuck wit him like that if your not elite you dont matter over there

[@EmoEmu]

Yeah, the stuff he came up with was the best segments most of the time. He should have just never done the forced US vs UK feud. That really soured people on his character.

[@Davord]

@@EmoEmu I think you're right, there. It seemed that was when reactions got weird, but not before

[@KC-vx5wo]

Kenny is very well spoken. This is worth a listen.

[@ronniejdio9411]

Kenny should drop the gimmick. The silliness. The immaturity. When he is serious he comes across so much better.

[@nishiedatta7795]

Agreed !

[@mynameis4555]

@@ronniejdio9411 terrible take considering he is having fun and still putting out 5 star matches

[@zacharishubin3959]

This is my second time listening to this. Just as good as the first!

[@ronniejdio9411]

@@mynameis4555 because having fun and getting fake stars from meltzer is what hes getting paid to do right ?

[@yellowscarlightningscream8347]

Kenny has a great sense of humor

[@empower5228]

Kenny Omega is so damn humble and spot on with what he said 👏 👏 damn I miss seeing him in AEW and can't wait for him to return once he's back at 100% 🙏🙏 he sounds so chill and relaxed at last so hopefully his recuperation is going well!

[@ShadyDBZ4]

Because he’s not self centered and self servicing like Cody & Brandi.

[@empower5228]

@@ShadyDBZ4 and ya know what...Omega had every right to be "that guy" when he came to AEW from NJPW. In fact, many fans and critics gave him hell for NOT doing that when, instead, he literally spent the bulk of his time putting other talent over, all the while being very injured and hiding it 🤷‍♂️ so call it what you will but Kenny Omega is a bloody living legend and worth at least ten Cody or Brandi Rhodes imo!

[@ShadyDBZ4]

@@empower5228 That’s correct. The entire first year of the company he did the jobs putting every one over “CLEAN”. Jericho at the first show of the company for DoN 2019, PAC at All Out 2019, & Mox at Full Gear 2019. He was getting criticized, but he said it’s what he wants to make the playing field look even with everyone on the roster. Yet here’s Cody 3 time TNT champ when he doesn’t need the belt at all. His first run was the only memorable one. And let’s be honest, he only did the job to Brodie Lee (RIP) to go film that tv show. Soon as it ended this fool gets the belt back off the top. SMH.

[@empower5228]

@@ShadyDBZ4 absolutely 💯 nailed that right on the head, mate!

[@PepsiMan666]

@@empower5228 Cody Rhodes notoriously bad with putting people over which is why he held the world title in aew for so long

[@Orpheusftw]

The most interesting thing to me was hearing Kenny acknowledge the "Codyverse" by name. 😂

[@TheJasonaut]

There have been outlets framing this as some kind of diss towards Cody, but i don’t get that from this at all. This is such a mature and frankly kind response. I’m surprised he answered to that degree. I don’t doubt there is love and respect however different they thought about things.

[@RampageRich]

Dirt sheets are called dirt sheets for a reason. They always try to drum up drama. Kenny was eloquent and respectful as he could have been with this answer.

[@mnxt2329]

When he said "...and the Codyverse over there doing whatever it is that he does" that felt like a diss to me

[@Jackholiday1025]

@@mnxt2329 definitely not.

[@Humorless_Wokescold]

It's pretty damn obvious that Kenny's fanbase doesn't like Cody. It's just what it is. If you're a workrate fan, you're probably not of fan of Cody's emphasis on emotional stakes. If anything, the problem was in them ever partnering. The two fanbases were always going to repel each other.

[@YungSleepLacker]

I’m gonna miss cody on dynamite. that sammy vs cody ladder match was amazing . he left out with a banger under his belt

[@linewalker]

Most, if not all of his work were bangers. He left nothing on the table. Gonna miss him in AEW. Thanks and take care Cody and Brandy!

[@NinjaStroll]

Idk how there's so many people that absolutely hates Kenny he's such a well spoken humble guy

[@autistpatrol2493]

Cornette + The fact he rejected WWE multiple times. I once saw a diehard WWE fan on Twitter say Kenny not accepting a contract from WWE was “disrespectful” to WWE fans and thus roman is better.

[@Tormund_Giantsbrain]

It's more like a vocal minority of IWC twitter cretins.

[@Ryan21500]

Or the fact that you don’t know any of these people personally so to say one way or another is ignorant lol.

[@Gokulosestoavirus]

He wrestled a blow up doll. That’s a good reason to hate the man

[@rightfootupleftfootslide1511]

Oh brother

[@ryanfraley7113]

Kenny is so intelligent and such a class act. I could listen to him talk about the business all day. I hope he gets a full time podcast when his career is over.

[@thegent8916]

I'd argue that Cody's forgotten more about the business than a guy like Kenny's yet learned. You say it's intellectual and classy, some would say it's passive aggressive and dismissive. Coming to the states has exposed Kenny as just another guy who doesn't move the needle. The mythos of Omega in Japan was exaggerated. The smart marks rave about the work rate, but refuse to acknowledge the obvious. He's another spoke on the wheel. An unproven commodity propped up by Dave Meltzer and the anti WWE audience.

[@ryanfraley7113]

@@thegent8916 As a community we have to let go of the idea that for one promotion to win, the other has to lose. That said, if you know anything about wrestling history, it is perfectly clear what promotion originated that idea.

[@MC-qi1cz]

Tell that to Jim Cornette😂

[@morningstar577]

@@MC-qi1cz who the fuck cares what Jim Cornette thinks?

[@stevenb427]

Yeah then Dave opens his mouth and ruins it all.

[@flashgordon4339]

Man, Kenny sounds so calm and colected, I am really impressed how well-spoken he is. Awesome interview.

[@wasperminingco]

It really was. The guy sounded so thoughtful.

[@donrosario3]

if you close your eyes he sounds like edge kinda

[@dookiestar07]

@@donrosario3 Because they are both Canadian that's why (I guess)

[@krich301]

Cody was becoming something similar to John Cena in aew and I liked it. The crowd was so against him and he got great reactions. The Codyverse always kept my attention cause I wanted to see how he would get to the World Title. Hope he comes back in a couple years.

[@AshBashSneakers]

Didn’t he lose the chance to ever wrestle for it?

[@versus13]

@@AshBashSneakers he just promised, but if he’s officially heel and not in any suit position in AEW he can run for it

[@austinf5836]

Yea, it seemed to me he largely wanted to be that type of "Superman" character for kids. The crowd just wouldn't let him have it. Constantly booing him and his wife and throwing his belt back every night adds up.

[@krich301]

@@austinf5836 he should have just realized the opportunity the fans were giving him to be a mega heel and run with it.

[@austinf5836]

@@krich301 Yea, it was definitely wasted potential. I'd like to see him return, but I can't really say I was upset to see him go. His segments really didn't mesh with the rest of the show.

[@brandonwhite4992]

This was somehow a very insightful answer while also being very kind and reasonable. I am becoming more and more a fan of Kenny. It took me a little bit, mostly because I was probably tainted by listening to Corny before I had even seen Kenny wrestle. His hand motions and posing in the ring does get a little annoying but there are tons of wrestlers that do that.

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

Fuxk twinkle toes and all friends wrestling. I kid. I like AEW as much as I like WWE which isn't very much. Sometimes it's good but most times it's meh.

[@creel999]

Yer i dont agree with corny regarding omega, but i do get it as he can be far too silly at times in the ring for a top guy. Hopefully he can stop that as hes solid when facing real talent

[@Badalight]

@@creel999 TBH, he only started to ratchet it up the more Corny talked about it. He did it before, but sparingly. I watched some of his matches in Japan and he was way more reigned in. He may also be compensating for his lack of explosiveness due to injuries.

[@empower5228]

@@Badalight good call, mate 👍

[@finbar5421]

@@Badalight I'm pretty sure he's just getting older and can't do that anymore

[@billymedio]

I always said kenny well spoken intelligent guy, we need more of him in interview

[@theboombody]

He does give excellent promos.

[@ak96ful1]

"We're not an alternative, we're straight up competition". Remember that?

[@pecky88]

Feel like the biggest difference between them was that Cody felt he had people to prove himself to. He wanted to show Vince/HHH what they'd missed. Bucks and Omega never had that same level of chip on their shoulder need to do that.

[@X_Blake]

I wish things could've been different, but not everyone is going to stay in x specific company forever. Also I'm glad Kenny is positive toward the WWE workers. Not everyone over there is like Vince or Nick Kahn, or Prichard or Ace.

[@machine1685]

I dont think the frustration with the company is ever directed at the workers. Every problem I have with WWE is systemic.

[@X_Blake]

@@machine1685 Still it's nice to have a positive relationship with the guys over there.

[@shoWbitz]

Kenny Omega is a man of culture and breeding. He is born Canadian and lived for decades in Japan, thus, learned the holistic teachings of Japanese culture and virtues.

[@TheAndreadbx]

even Prichard was away from wwe at some point

[@IrishGuy001.]

@@shoWbitz right cause the Japanese have never done anything bad, nothing weird?

[@Vesperitis]

Yknow, if Kenny ever decides to hang up his boots and transition into a full time promoter, I think he'd be really good at it.

[@italianmiltyfriedman6264]

Promoter? Promoters are salesmen. The term you marks are looking for is BOOKER. Hes too smart to be a promoter.

[@seancrisel5994]

I truly hope Cody is in talks with whats left of ROH to be a booker there and help them out

[@crypto101podcast]

this is a very underrated thought. Cody is so deeply involved with developing young talent that were not gonna get any real airtime with the influx of real stars now. ROH is the perfect place to take The Nightmare Factory and rebuild what used to be a great brand. I hope you're right on the mark.

[@davidgraham8299]

They could NEVER afford him

[@blablablaa14]

I love how Kenny was like "flight to Saudi" while giggling about how terrible that is

[@DelightfulTyrant]

And he was full of shit. Kind of lends credit to the rumors

[@Jackholiday1025]

Well you took that comment the wrong way, he wasn’t dissing Cody for it.

[@Funkmonkv1]

And Cody was just in Orlando.

[@harpreetsingh-yh5vh]

Kenny is such a nice guy. God bless him 😊

[@FrankWestOffTheRecord]

to be honest, Cody always sounded like the outsider of the EVPs and I just couldn't see Cody gelling with the others

[@mustaquimahmedtanbeer2437]

It's a work. Even Dave meltzer knows it.

[@jamesmiller5331]

Until he's on someone else's TV I'm convinced it's at work

[@pooldead7712]

@@mustaquimahmedtanbeer2437 if its a work it will accomplish nothing lol, it will be the dumbest work ever lol

[@kakatopung8139]

agree, i think from the beginning cody join BC we can see that he doesn't fit with the other guys, thats why we never see him again in bte

[@jesuszamora6949]

@@pooldead7712 Only way it makes sense is if Cody is a massive heel, leading a takeover faction of some sort.

[@yellowscarlightningscream8347]

This interview clears the question that Cody wanted "more power" than he was allowed to be by Tony Khan. He clearly saw a different vision to what AEW is now. But that being said, TK has really improved on their initial plans and completely shot AEW to the moon

[@mat.b.]

Yeah it's hard to argue with how things are being run, Tony has been consistently praised for his booking and if Cody has a problem with that, well he found the door.

[@dex4463]

@@mat.b. The booking in AEW is *terrible*. By far the weakest part of the show. They have the talent, and there are good matches, but the booking is garbage.

[@mat.b.]

@@dex4463 terrible booking? come on, man

[@mat.b.]

@@dreamshakejunya He was, but things took a turn when he went Hollywood. His character was so pretentious it was hard to see him as the selfless babyface he was early on.

[@yellowscarlightningscream8347]

@@dreamshakejunya that's because Cody himself wanted to be more of a backstage guy. These are his own words that he wanted to transition fully to a lead role backstage. All Cody's feuds were booked out of place in a mini dimension, even Kenny called it "Cody verse". These were Cody's influenced decision. Also it is also implied that choosing 11 pm timeslot for Rampage was heavily influenced by Cody which turned out to be a terrible decision

[@DK-BayBay]

If this is a giant work, bravo. After seeing Brock Lesnar destroy everyone in the Elimination Chamber and make AJ Styles and Seth Rollins look like geeks, I can't imagine Cody there doing anything of note there. He has to know that.

[@jamesmiller5331]

Geek huh

[@Jackholiday1025]

Lesnar was the last guy to enter the match , Aj styles and Rollins had been damaged already btw. “ He has to know that “ lol Cody ain’t going back there for nothing. If he’s going back to WWE it’s because he got offered a better situation for him going forward “

[@TheLhicks26]

@@Jackholiday1025 Did you literally just use a video game reference for a real life match where this motherfucker hit one move on each person and finished all of them except Austin theory

[@halfwaydowntheroad]

If a world title is the most notable thing, he, supposedly, wasn't going to achieve that in AEW either. So who knows if there was a higher rung for him there (in-ring). Maybe a match with Punk or a feud with Bray Wyatt (if he ever signed)?

[@mgawsmestevan23]

Kenny and the Bucks have never made it a WAR with WWE, because they have no issues with Vince McMahon. They never got screwed over, they weren't brought up in WWE and were offered huge contracts right before the founding of AEW. Cody was the last of the EVPs to sign according to the Buck's book. He wanted more power over booking and Tony Khan wasn't feeling that. I do think Tony needs to focus more on character for a lot of his talent, but that's about it.

[@peterlee6374]

Yeah the bucks and keenly never took shots at wwe in the 4 years before they hooked up with Cody did they 🤣🤣

[@offthewoodwork3626]

@@peterlee6374 Poking fun at things another promotion has done is not the same as making it a war. Plenty of WWE wrestlers have poked fun at things that happened in AEW, but I definitely wouldn't characterize that as making it a war with them. Pretty much everything I've seen Kenny and the Bucks do has been all in good fun, but Cody's stuff has come across to me as sincere.

[@pooldead7712]

@@peterlee6374 they are just having fun and.catering to the audience they have, it's what makes wrestling fun, they have stated they do not want wwe to go out of business pr the wrestlers over there to loose there jobs.

[@peterlee6374]

@@offthewoodwork3626 so Has kingstonnjericho moxley etc not taken direct personal shots at wwe?? Or we all just laying the blame at cody just cus he’s leaving aew?? Seems like aew are trying to paint a narrative about cody as he’s leaving our the door

[@a.jherbert5436]

I think that is the hardest I've ever heard Dave laugh. But to be fair, the joke was hilarious.

[@BiscayneBeast]

Kenny is probably one of my favorite wrestlers not because of his god like talent as a performer but his character and genuine personality as a person.

[@kingdingaling413]

God like talent? 😂 Didn’t know god like to do jazz hands 😂

[@FrozenSurf]

@@kingdingaling413 hey! I listen to him Cornette too! Cool.

[@kingdingaling413]

@@FrozenSurf I mean I don’t think everything he says is accurate and I disagree on plenty..I think he’s dead right about the bucks and a lil too extreme on Kenny but boy I hate the jazz hands

[@FrozenSurf]

@@kingdingaling413 👋🏼😀👋🏼. 😂

[@Orpheusftw]

_"Genuine."_ 🤦‍♂️ If you say he's a talented wrestler I won't even argue with you, but no reason to outright lie. 'Dude's the fakest, most disingenuous, narcissistic dork I've seen since Punk.

[@wilcee675]

Even though I’m a longtime mark, I’ll believe this is a work until Rhodes is standing in the middle of a WWE ring.

[@seanwilliams1051]

Codyverse over there doing what ever he does, that’s it in a nut shell.

[@Tormund_Giantsbrain]

Kenny's such a smart guy!

[@treasurenkhwashu]

Very interesting point, Cody was really the leader of the revolution. He was the guy who rallied us behind AEW and against WWE, even kept taking shots at them Then he said he would never turn 🥺🥺 then he turned his back on us

[@tonkajahari419]

You’re the ones who turned your backs on him first smh

[@Khader1093]

@@dreamshakejunya that's regarding his character which is not related to him leaving.

[@TreySarver]

Here we can see two opposing views, both of which from people getting worked.

[@Jeffreynelius]

I think he looks at it like WE turned our backs on HIM. When really if he had just done what the crowd wanted he’d be super over as a heel right now. This whole thing is just weird and kinda sucks.

[@Khader1093]

@@dreamshakejunya which means your saying he is a literal snow flake who took his ball and left just for some boos from the crowd rather than turning heel and have a monster run. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@bryanmahoney3434]

Cody overreached his grasp to me. I think his focus on being a celebrity was definitely outweighing his overall commitment to the company. I also said this before I think absolutely Tony was pushing back against Brandi and what her goals were in the company and I think she was humbled. I cant speak to how much that had to do with all of this but absolutely no question she was given a tough pill to swallow as far as being a prominent on air figure. Nothing she ever did got over on TV as a matter of fact she hurt the shows she was on. If Cody felt obligated to stand by her that is what a good husband does but from a television perspective she had no value and came across entitled to it.l

[@wednesdayboy9088]

She was talking to dolls before Alexa Bliss 😂 That stupid heel turn after the finger skating back story. Her stupid stable story was hilariously bad. The most recent crap with Dan Lambert It was all so cringe. You can clearly tell it was all her own input and no one wanted to touch that shit. Way to much power just because of who she’s married to.

[@mat.b.]

maybe it's no coincidence that before Cody left, Brandi put out one of her worst segments yet. Maybe Tony was putting the breaks on her and that was the last straw for Cody?

[@brandonwhite4992]

Just to add to him wanting to be a star, it is kind of interesting to think of if the rumors are true that he wanted CM Punk money, that he wanted that money while having to be gone for long periods of time and having cameras exposing the backstage area of aew most of the time. I did not like the way Rhodes to the top showed the backstage on the parts I had watched. Like Malakai Black saying how much it meant to him that Cody put him over. Its like that is fine a couple years from now, but in the middle of the angle... wtf?? It soured me on Malakai a bit.

[@brandonwhite4992]

@@mat.b. I wonder who was in charge of that segment fully too. Tony signs off on it but like that shit was rough haha, was it Brandy or Cody or a different person that wrote it I wonder.

[@kyril98741]

Made me remember a saying from I don't know where that look like this, every success/downfall of a great men is due to the women behind him. I don't watch wwe so I don't even know who Brandi was before I see her in BTE acting like entitle bitch like she belong in the bullet club because of her husband.

[@shredenvain7]

If Cody wasnt happy then he should do what makes him happy. Problem is how in the actual fuck does Cody going back to WWE solve any of the "issues" that cause him to leave Aew? There may be a honeymoon period for Cody if he goes to WWe. That said he will not be allowed to bleed (which is one of his favorite things), he will be required to clear every word of his promos with a team (if they let him create them in the 1st place), and he sure as hell wont be able to reach that consistent 5 star match quality he has been chasing for years. I wish Cody the best but I think he is about to make a mistake made by his father back in the late 80s.

[@bennyomega9153]

He just wants to be welcomed home by Daddy Vince This was his plan all along

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

Oh, and a big part of his issues in AEW was his refusal to turn heel. He thinks WWE will push him as a babyface? Or even if they do initially, does he think they won't turn him heel at the drop of a hat? What's he going to do then, refuse? Vince does NOT give ANYONE creative control in their contracts.

[@TheCmascagni]

Money. Lots of it.

[@jay_1212]

@@ArcaneAzmadi I honestly don’t know why Cody never turned heel. He could’ve been a huge draw and arguably would’ve been the best heel in the business especially if he has brandy with him (she’s a heat magnet). The more he forced it the more people rejected him

[@ronniejdio9411]

I'm not gonna pretend the poka dot out fit wasnt a joke ribbing dusty and how they embaressed him constantly. But I cant dent his common mam song wasnt a banger either

[@balbomb]

Knowing now how Cody really thinks, he will probably view this as burial when in reality it was the most diplomatic answer possible. I look forward to the bucks addressing it when they are ready, I think they will be more brutally honest. Kudos to Kenny for addressing it though, im sure it wasn’t easy.

[@blablablaa14]

That's because Cody would want Kenny to say "Cody is the best as the world, AEW sucks for letting the greatest leave, how is Rhodes not the greatest have you seen him go through a flaming table, so with Cody being the greatest he should get as much money as he wants" Glad he's gone, he was stalling AEW creative and wasn't worth it

[@Dare1C]

Lol I love that so many people are experts on how Cody thinks

[@milk_bath]

You don’t know how Cody really thinks. Stop projecting.

[@Jackholiday1025]

What a stupid fucking comment. Cody wouldn’t see this as a burial lol.

[@moviewolfreviews875]

Sounds like Cody wanted to really go to war with WWE but the other EVPs didn’t want and wanted to do their own thing, still a weird reason to leave the company he started but Idk

[@MikeG1]

Yea I remember Cody on a interview 2019 or 2020 saying he wanted AEW to eventually move to Mondays.. and Tony Khan would instantly correct him and say he had no plans on doing that. Alot of headbutting between them like that.

[@dessertstorm7476]

i wonder what Cody's vision was... one day I hope he returns and the departure would be an obvious good way to get out of his no title challenge stipulation and would also allow him to get rid of the cena heat he had built up.

[@TheTalk23]

Cody's vision was wrestling. Not just doing high spots. Burying the refs. Dancing and singing. No dark order or a guy with hands in his pockets. He wanted real wrestling. Look at punk, Bryan, ftr, Jay lethal. Those guys are wrestling.

[@EthenkRowan]

@@TheTalk23 you realize the company he’s probably going to had a spelling bee segment for their number 1 tag team feud wwe isn’t a wrestling company Vince would be the first one to tell you

[@larkhainan]

@@TheTalk23 Funny, giving the massive amount of song and dance Cody injected nonstop into everything he did.

[@safayetkhan9389]

The Codyverse a.k.a. currentWWE/ 2000sWCW style of booking

[@dessertstorm7476]

@@TheTalk23 those guys are in aew, so how is his vision not being realised

[@MrTambourineMan.]

Glad to hear Tony is solely running the show now. It just doesn’t work with all those cooks in the kitchen

[@mat.b.]

no need to anyway, the bucks and kenny are writing their own stuff well, and creating their own long term storylines just fine. I doubt they feel they even need more control if all their stuff gets the green light. Cody was different. His storylines were hit or miss, Brandi's were all miss. Tony needed to be more in control with him and we can assume he did not like that or what he was being allowed to do.

[@Jeffreynelius]

Too many cooks! TOOO MANY COOOKS!!! Too many cooks! TOOOOO MANY COOKS!

[@bennyomega9153]

This was like a year ago genius

[@alexmonro1711]

Yea and aew booking isn't perfect but it's still vastly superior to the last 5 years of wwe imo

[@shootboxpodcast]

@@alexmonro1711 No pro wrestling booking is perfect, it's an impossible feat.

[@SAM-ru4vx]

Crisis on infinite rassling multiverse.🤔

[@BlackWind-rx5il]

In the end I think Cody's vision was "WWE but done right", while the Bucks, Kenny and Tony was something different, more of a mix of the old school of pro wrestling booking and the modern style of professional wrestling, molded by the rise of Independent wrestling and Japanese pro-wrestling. And It makes sense, that's what The Bucks and Kenny have grown up inside of, while Cody was a WWE guy first, with a huge chip on his shoulder and somewhat of a vengeance in his mind for the way his father was unappreciated in WWE in his times there. To Cody is either succeed in WWE or succeeding against it. WWE vs NWA/JCP/WCW. That's what HE has grown up inside of.

[@rjohnson993]

I think you nailed it. If K.O. is to be taken seriously here--you're take is spot on.

[@lloydhinshelwood]

You are bang on.

[@Jeffreynelius]

Idk how anyone who is a wrestling fan can dislike Kenny Omega.

[@pecky88]

I dislike what I've seen of him in AEW, but he comes across as a really nice guy away from it.

[@LimJayhey]

@@pecky88 you should check out his babyface run in AEW when it first started, so many good matches + him and Hangman we’re easily the best tag champions in AEW’s history so far

[@MotherfuckerMr]

@@pecky88 I think he was mostly beat up in his champion reign, knowing that made me kinda respect the guy even more...cause he went through the pain and yeah he seems nice

[@nyghtmareinmi]

Do you want an honest answer to that?

[@Khader1093]

Jim cornette is a wrestling fan who just hates Kenny.

[@sepiarain]

Wow, you expect vague politician-esque answers but Kenny went into detail! Although interesting to hear that the divide appeared to be about whether there was an implicit or explicit "war" with WWE... Young Bucks are just as guilty as Cody for taking shots at WWE, admittedly mainly on BTE, but they were never subtle and usually pretty on the nose.

[@peterlee6374]

And kenny seems to forget that the bucks with the good brothers and himself was taking shots at wwe for 3-4 years before they hooked up with Cody They literally became synonymous with being “anti wwe” And is kenny forgetting Jericho has been shot stirring the pot just as much if not more so then Cody and the bucks

[@2HitWonder]

Kenny was talking about the backstage approach/ strategy, not "wrestling humor" on a comedy show.

[@sepiarain]

@@2HitWonder in which case I can see why it would be frustrating for Cody if he did want to take it to the next level, and everyone else was happy having a bark worse than their bite. That said, AEW are at their best just doing their own thing and completely ignoring WWE. WWE's current product is absolute garbage and their hold over the industry is simply due to their legacy, acquisitions and morally bankrupt business ethics. Happy for them to be at the butt end of jokes, not happy about them becoming ingratiated with my consumption of the quality entertainment AEW puts out.

[@jonathanellis6097]

This is really interesting, and thinking back now it was mostly Cody who tried to make a war. While I do think that might have worked to bring in some anti WWE fans in im not sure it was the best way to go in the long run. Mox I think mentioned WWE once or twice and so has Punk, but Codey smashed up a throne!! Wrestletalk called anything Codey was in the "Cody Zone", and again looking back now the Cody bits of the show were almost separate from everything else. Perhaps its a good thing Cody is either doing other things or taking a break who knows until its confirmed. AEW needed Codey at the beginning and without him and ALL In AEW probably wouldn't exist, but AEW now will be just fine without him. Good luck to him.

[@ciaranbyrne9371]

The Codyverse is what led to the fans turning on Cody he was so far removed from everyone and everything else

[@kakatopung8139]

agree

[@unfixingbowl5454]

It’s a shame Omega vs Cody never happened in AEW

[@darnelldarden9429]

But it can happen if he ever comes back imagine how huge that would be of a return match for Cody

[@alexmagic8934]

Cody vs. Kenny Omega ROH Supercard Of Honor 2018... Cody vs. Kenny Omega NJPW G1 Special In San Francisco...Cody vs. Kenny Omega vs. Kota Ibushi NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling 2018

[@unfixingbowl5454]

@@alexmagic8934 Maybe you should re-read my comment again

[@alexmagic8934]

@@unfixingbowl5454As long as there is no AEW Match. In the meantime you can watch these matches again. ;)

[@juliand.breakdown463]

good.

[@CameronAllOneWord]

I don't hate Cody but while he's had a lot of fantastic matches and segments he's also been apart of many of the worst things AEW has done and the fact that the fans were so split on him proves that his ideas weren't the greatest and not to sound rude but pretty much everything Brandi did was awful. Meanwhile just about every time Omega or the Young Bucks have been on TV it's been pretty good or great. Kenny was apart of the bomb not going off but that wasn't his fault at all whereas Cody's weigh in(even beyond the scale which wasn't his fault), England VS US promo, weird Ladder match booking(the one Scoprio Sky won) and more were all Cody's ideas. I could totally understand Tony Khan not resigning Cody if one of his conditions was to get more creative control or influence over booking. Don't get me wrong though Cody contributed a lot of great stuff. His match with Dustin was the best match on the first show, taking himself out of the world title picture elevated the TNT title, his promos were always delivered well even if the messages were unpopular, the open challenges were consistently good, he put people over all the time, and his ladder match with Sammy was a fantastic finale. I just think don't think the guy should have more influence in booking especially if Brandi is apart of the deal. Tony Khan should have the final say in everything but if wanting more influence in booking wasn't a reason why he left though then I guess none of this matters anyway though.

[@Stooboot]

yeah so true about Cody being the one pushing hard at the whole "WWE Vs AEW" thing. thats what makes it so weird

[@ak96ful1]

"We're not an alternative, we're straight up competition". Remember that?

[@2HitWonder]

Agreed. Just before AEW started Cody was totally paranoid about the Bucks or Kenny going to WWE so it's very surprising to see him be the one who went.

[@pooldead7712]

@@ak96ful1 some fans still believe that aew and wwe are in this fierce war lol

[@liandopus9922]

2 guys i'd always love to hearing speak about life, Kenny Omega & andrew Garfield. They can talk anything about everything and wil be worth listen

[@sppsports2449]

Let's be real for 2 seconds: there will be many, many departures from AEW in the future that will shock us all (and many will end up in WWE). It's the nature of the business. I wouldn't be surprised if Omega left AEW in the future as well. That's just how it goes.

[@BrikMason]

Kenny is the embodiment of professionalism, this interview shows it.

[@deadmanlyndon]

I don't hate cody, to me he was actually becoming something in AEW and one day he would have been a mega superstar. He has a lot of heat but after all the hard work he did in each match, who could say he was not trying harder than anybody. I thought that soon he would reach the top and then nobody could deny his toughness and skill. I thought that is what he was doing. But he's really gone back to WWE. Give it a few months, there is no way the fans will see him as a star to watch as a champion over Reigns. SMH. Hell, since AEW came out i don't even watch WWE clips on youtube. I ain't going back to watch Cody's tragic downfall over there.

[@LunaScopeJustin]

Love Kenny

[@djohns9295]

Feelings changed as soon as WWE offered Cody more money. We call that a “sell out” I hope WWE puts in on a polkadot onesie and jobs him out to the NxT 2.0 guys.

[@FernandoMartinez-pv1id]

Well that didnt happen.....

[@djohns9295]

@@FernandoMartinez-pv1id Yet…

[@jcman-lp6lg]

this makes me wonder about the elite vs cody backstage heat even more even if they say "there's no heat"

[@mat.b.]

especially with Bryan saying they were all getting along now, Kenny made clear here that they dont socialize or talk outside of work like he does with the other guys.

[@num1Jaysta]

I knew there was something to it.

[@darnelldarden9429]

Exactly there has to be some type of turmoil there to make him leave and go back to the place he hated

[@peterlee6374]

Was obvious there was given how quick meltzer was to dismiss the story and say it was nothing more then slight disagreements

[@Jackholiday1025]

The thing is people don’t understand that just because you don’t hang out socially with people all the time it doesn’t mean that there is beef.

[@jaboba69]

Can't wait until Cody smashes a Jags helmet on Raw before jobbing to Roman and becoming Stardust again.

[@Jackholiday1025]

If you think Cody is going back to WWE to do that kind of thing then I don’t know what to tell ya.

[@JohnSmith-hj8pg]

@@Jackholiday1025 he’s not a bigger star then Roman, Brock, lashely or even AJ styles he will be a mid carder

[@FernandoMartinez-pv1id]

​@JohnSmith-hj8pg well this aged poorly.

[@FernandoMartinez-pv1id]

Well he lost to Roman but he's never going to be Stardust again. Now you all complain he wins too often LMFAO make a decision.

[@gqn2]

Cody lost a lot of leverage by refusing to turn heel. Could have been the biggest heel on AEW and I completely understand why he didn’t want to turn.

[@Jackholiday1025]

He didn’t refuse to turn heel. Just because he had not turned full traditional heel after 2 years doesn’t mean he never would have and refused to do so. People are taking those comments about not turning the wrong way. He would have likely turned heel eventually if he had resigned down the road at some time. And I actually liked how his character was kind of a heel who thought he was a babyface, that wanted to be a hero so bad but was just so arrogant and selfish. That cm punk promo, could be more arrogant and full of himself ? could he be more jealous and spiteful at cm punk ?

[@yugandharjanardhan6466]

@@Jackholiday1025 but the promo was cringy. I didn't have " I hate this guy " feeling like I do when I see good heels like MJF or hell even baron Corbin. I just change the channel whenever Cody or his wife picks up the mic LMAO. I'm tired of him speaking so much yet it not having a point...he wasn't as big of a deal as he thought he was. He certainly wasn't on Brayn or punks level

[@Jackholiday1025]

@@yugandharjanardhan6466 like him or not he’s a draw though, his stuff gets ratings, it gets attention. The news of him leaving AEW blew the fuck up, it overtook the news of Austin having a match at mania. And I do think cm punk and Bryan coming did have a role in him leaving, it has gotten crowed but I just think more than anything it’s about WWE throwing him a way better deal, it’s the move for him to make going forward. Cody never shut the door on WWE and it seems evident that before AEW it was always his intention to build himself back up and return to WWE, WWE did offer him a very nice contract in 2018. A lot of people don’t understand that there was never bad blood between Cody and WWE, that he doesn’t actually has Triple h lol. Since leaving WWE Cody has busted his ass, from jumping off cages in at Indy shows to helping star an alternative to WWE that there hasn’t been in 10 years, and in the process elevating so much other talent. If WWE offered him a lot of money and a world title, then good for him. No one should call him a traitor or hypocrite for it.

[@guilhemherisson3254]

Kenny is so well spoken.

[@tinheart2853]

At this point im begging all the gods and higher powers in the world for Kenny to not just leave when his deal is up. I love him in AEW and I want him here where I know he will be treated with respect

[@bucketdecals8428]

In 2 years we'll see Cody back in AEW with his departure spun into a storyline and all anyone will be talking about is whether or not it was all a work with WWE being used as a pawn for a greater storyline.

[@jamessorge3197]

I kinda think and hope this too... I think maybe he felt he couldn’t do much that he wanted to do in AEW with the roster they have now and he he wet to Tony and said I’m still all in but I think what would be best for me and the company is for me to go WWE for two years while you give pushes to guys like Punk, Danielson, MJF, Cole... and I’ll make my self a offer star and world champion in WWE and then come back and work it into a bigger storyline and bring attention back to AEW... I just don’t want to to wait that long to see him in AEW, WWE is not worth watching and I’m afraid if this is the plan in someway that a lot can happen in two years and we’ll never see it. But I could see something to this effect being the actual case. That he felt he wouldn’t be utilized well enough right now and would simply get lost and stuck putting people over and this was the way to tell the bigger story he wants to and fit the timeline Tony has planned for booking for the next two years.

[@shoWbitz]

It's definitely not an issue about money.. It's now an issue about Cody's massive ego, clamouring for absolute booking power, and protecting his wife from criticisms on her head-scratching booking on the shows.

[@liquiddookie7526]

Aged like milk in a hot car

[@doubles7533]

What doesn't make sense to me, is that Cody apparently left AEW because he no longer has any creative say, to go to a company that he will have ZERO creative power when it comes to anything.

[@handsomelee9568]

Keep in mind that's just rumor. Cody has said nothing.

[@riffhousestudios96]

If this is just a work, it’s being done at a high level.

[@BryWithAWhy]

I like Cody. I think he is an incredible performer. And this is complete speculation: but I could totally see him being hard to work with...having ideas that doesn't really 'fit'. There were definitely elements to Cody's and Brandi's story arcs that felt very all over the place and lacking a clear narrative focus.

[@rahamanawelenje9955]

Cuz the guy was actually a visionist and a professional and not representing a friends for all company about a comedy show ? Yeah I can see that.

[@hevykevy316]

A lot of people here pointing out that the Bucks took some shots, but in their defence, that was mostly on BTE. Cody was out there on national TV smashing thrones, taking out golden shovels, and teasing pedigrees.

[@hevykevy316]

@@bb-ballistics1706 I genuinely hope it isn't a work, because that's some Hogan/Biscoff ruining TNA level madness.

[@chrisb8846]

Bro yall are so weird no matter the reason of him leaving he clearly did what's best for him as a human being why can't yall support that?

[@leonkennedy9312]

Kenny is just awesome

[@brookeburner4243]

fine w me.. im tired of seeing nightmare family wrestlers anyway

[@djwhitesox]

“Cody is not a guy I get a Diet Pepsi with in the off time.” Kenny Omega

[@darnelldarden9429]

If this ends up being a work it’s the best one I’ve ever seen. I still can’t believe Cody is leaving. He’s pretty much the face of the company

[@Ryusuta]

Kenny Omega's contract is up next year? Finally something to be HOPEFUL about.

[@MrDrmorbid]

What Cody did for AEW and lending more credibility out of the gate was invaluable. After a short time, I had no idea why he was there. It wasn't even part of the show anymore. I am pretty sure things will realign in the future and I don't hate him. It's obvious AEW tried to make Cody's stuff work, but it absolutely didn't fit and that really sucks because the stuff he and Dustin did out of the gate is classic, five-star storytelling and wrestling and no one can take any of that away. It's just nuts how much classic stuff AEW has now.

[@Barfbagdontsag]

Totally bummed we aren’t getting that 5 star Brandi Rhodes/Paige Van Zandt iron woman clinic

[@Jack91790]

STONE COLD STONE COLD 😅🤣 Honest as always.

[@USSOBRIEN]

Kenny, "I'm up next year. Done!" KENNY OMEGA TO WWE CONFIRMED!!!!!

[@na6756]

hard to go back and listen to those early Cody promos now. Just sounds like a guy who's full of it.

[@RockoJerome]

I read the big quotes and thought this would be Kenny just verbally wailing on Cody, but actually hearing it is a very different thing.

[@FashionObsession22]

So those rumors of the riff between EVPs was obviously true. I feel like Kenny said so much without really saying it “We always got along professionally but he’s not the kind of guy I’d go grab a Pepsi with after work, “last I heard he was on flight to Saudi Arabia, whatever makes you happy I guess”.

[@handsomelee9568]

What stands out the most in the comments is how quickly people have turned against Cody who has NOT made any negative statements but some of you who loved Cody 2 weeks ago now turn your back. That's the sad part and also that is why wrestling promoters stopped listening to the fans. We don't have loyalty anymore. Why listen to the fans if all we do is crap on everything.

[@Steve8K]

I'm 99.9% certain Cody isn't going to wwe. Either way good luck to him.

[@TheRiderInBlack85]

Normally, not a fan of Kenny. But he’s breakdown of Cody’s situation is very good. Really intelligent. I respect he’s breakdown on things

[@BigHeroChris]

I guarantee there's no racism in the Codyverse

[@supermetroid009]

So…he convinced them to wage war, got insecure…and left .good job Cody.

[@konlee4456]

This is actually pretty well articulated but guessing he is omitting some stuff

[@Radhaugo108]

So the rumored locker division was real. Omega is essentially saying that Cody left not because of money but because of power. IMO: Cody going to WWE legitimizes AEW and guarantees the possibility of a healthy rivalry that is good for what had been a stagnant business.

[@kattatatatat6361]

I’m afraid for what it means for Cody in his career there but in the long term and for the business it’s made things exciting between the two promotions. The point of having choice between the two companies is the ability of that choice going both ways, and Cody has normalized that for those considering their chances at the Fed. I just hope it doesn’t result in what most fear

[@chuckycheesechucky]

I agree with the waging war on WWE mentality... :(

[@pooldead7712]

Was probably the dumbest thing cody did, very smart it got stopped

[@lupuslycos88]

Man, every time I hear kenny speak he comes across as such a lovely guy. legend.

[@Jrh-rp7np]

Cody clearly tried to make the company revolving around him and Brandi he has the Nightmare family, and Brandi was supposed to be The Nightmare Collective,, except Brandi is god awful and has go away heat and an instant channel change segment… I also thought it was weird as soon as AEW started Cody wasn’t on BTE anymore… it’s like dude that’s kinda what got him over in a lot of ways all those great BTE New Japan, RoH segments…FTR,,FTRR so many others… And if you notice he was completely different when Brandi wasn’t around he was like one of the Boys…

[@Jackholiday1025]

Cody has always been about elevating others. He busted his ass for AEW. If he wants to go to WWE, if they offered him a shit ton of money and a big push then good for him.

[@nishiedatta7795]

He speaks so eloquently and in a positive light.

[@captainchuppachup]

But if Cody believe so strongly about the AEW vision why go back to WWE if it's not only about the money now? It's a weird situation and some day I'm sure we'll hear the full story.

[@pooldead7712]

He hasn't gone back to wwe, nothing is confirmed yet

[@TarHeelsKenny]

Kenny was definitely toeing a very proper line in what he was saying. You can tell he is a very intelligent person and was choosing his words very carefully.

[@originalhuggies9740]

This makes me even more convinced it's a work.

[@roblegend6715]

I still think it's a work....

[@carbonsilkthread]

Kenny is beginning to sound more and more like Edge with every phone interview I hear.

[@nxtwomenfan497]

His vocal resemblance to Edge here is uncanny.

[@dariendudley9716]

Kenny Omega you are one of THE BEST WRESTLERS TO EVER DO IT.LOVE YOU AS A WRESTLER 2 THUMBS UP

[@unplayedpiano7039]

Essentially, Kenny Ratified What Everyone Thought. Cody Wanted More Control & That’s Why (I Was Wondering) Tony Started To Have More Of A Presence Online & On Screen To Show He’s The Boss & Cody Developed His Own Thing Programming-Wise To Be On Par. Sometimes Success Produces Bad Fruit…

[@rahamanawelenje9955]

No. Tony started taking control something that wasnt part of the plan.

[@jeffong503]

Rewatching this specially Cody debuted

[@robertr6612]

Codyverse, Cody island, Cody zone, Cody vortex, everyone has a name for the separate things Cody does on the show

[@alexstitz3608]

I liked Cody that first year and a half in AEW vs WWE felt like WCW vs WWF it was awesome now all these old WWE guys come and it doesnt feel like the same anymore AEW or AEW vs WWE anymore