‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes had admitted that there’s no reason why there shouldn’t be a potential crossover between AEW and WWE in the future.
Since the turn of 2021, All Elite Wrestling have opened doors for partnerships with other promotions around the world working with IMPACT Wrestling and now it appears New Japan Pro Wrestling with the appearances of KENTA, the announcement of Juice Robinson and the rumoured incoming of Kazuchika Okada.
However, the one crossover many fans have been fantasy booking since the beginning of AEW is that of World Wrestling Entertainment, a partnership that current AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega has been in favour of since the beginning.
Now, Cody Rhodes has sat down with the New York Post to discuss the working relationship between AEW, IMPACT Wrestling and New Japan:
“I’m all AEW, but I’m not blind to the potential of these crossovers. I do think when travel restrictions lift, perhaps there are crossover matches, the dream matches that are available for us. I know in my heart that there is somebody I’d love to wrestle from New Japan. I didn’t get the opportunity and time is running out on that opportunity. I’m a big fan of The Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi). I like to challenge myself and they have a great roster in terms of (Kazuchika) Okada, Jay White and of course (Kota) Ibushi, who I got to wrestle so many times, and many people. (Tomohiro) Ishii, my gosh. There’s some good potential there for crossover elements and good friendly relations, but I also want to never forget that we have a loaded locker room of men and women who are champing at the bit to get in this two-hour time slot and I always look at AEW first. Just respectably to any other company, I’m probably the most guarded up when it comes to crossovers.”
However, there is one crossover that Cody Rhodes will never be able to put to the side as it will always be a burning question on the lips of wrestling fans everywhere. The potential of AEW working with WWE:
“I think of “All In” itself. “All In” is a show that ROH (Ring of Honor) helped us with that Matt (Jackson), Nick (Jackson), myself did all the work for outside of that initial production element and the reason it was important that the three of us do it was we were able to let all these old rules go away. That’s a very dangerous and powerful precedent to set if you literally do put down all the bridges and you do put down all the doors. Again, this is all hypothetical, but there is no reason AEW couldn’t work with New Japan. We’re aware of the world outside. Bullet Club is a big part of our blood in AEW. So there’s no reason we couldn’t work with New Japan. There’s no reason Jacob Fatu couldn’t take a step over from MLW and stand across the ring from me. There’s no reason that there couldn’t be a potential WWE crossover one day. And I don’t mean that’s a thing that’s been discussed or happening, but none of those rules that exist for other places exist for us. Wrestling is really this universal industry. The territory reference that you made, that’s fairly accurate, but the part of it that’s most accurate was there was a genuine trust.
Eddie Graham and Vince (McMahon) Sr. they traded people all the time and made prolific pieces of business out of it and they did it in a way where they introduced these characters in New York and then next thing you know they introduce these characters in Florida and it kept things fresh because above all, Wednesday Night War or not the main thing we have to do for fans for the rest of this run – and I want this company to be around forever — is keep it fresh. It can’t ever get stale. Our doors are open if the business is right, if the moment is right, if the time right. Our bridges are down. I’ll be the one curmudgeon AEW guy to make sure it’s all good.”
The former AEW TNT Champion has been a beacon for All Elite Wrestling since its inception both inside and outside the ring, making new stars en route to an on/off partnership with Sting and Darby Allin against Team Taz and his fledgling rivalry with NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal.
Credit for the interview: New York Post
h/t for the transcription: Fightful