During his time in AEW, Cody Rhodes played a huge role in bringing a number of would-be stars to the company.
The American Nightmare worked with the likes of MJF and Darby Allin early on in their AEW runs, famously wrestling the face-painted star to a time-limit draw in what was his first match for the company.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Inside the Ropes’ own Kenny McIntosh, Diamond Dallas Page heaped praise on Rhodes for the work he did in establishing MJF, Allin, and Sammy Guevara. The WWE Hall of Famer explained that it was work such as this, that meant it was such a huge mistake on Tony Khan’s part to “lose” Rhodes to WWE.
“When I watched Darby Allin go out there for the very first time. No one knows anything about him except for on the independent scenes. When I watch him go out there, and I never want to know the finish, he knows that, I want to watch like a fan. And I watched him go 20 minutes. Broadway. First of all, I don’t even remember when the last Broadway was, it was so long ago.
But Cody saw something in that kid that no one saw in a 5’8” 155lb kid. Nobody saw it, but he did. And that’s why he got the job.
He also was one who discovered oh, what’s his name again? MJF. Who is the best heel in the business from top to bottom because he can work, because he knows how to be the heel, the chicken sh*t and he loves people booing him. He does not want anybody to cheer him. Nobody, you know? But Cody, again, saw something in him and helped him up.
And then of course, Sammy Guevara. I mean, Jericho did a ton to really get to saving that spot. But so did Cody, you know what I mean? So it wasn’t like he was beating everyone and made himself the AEW champion. He never was, you know what I’m saying?”
Diamond Dallas Page Says Tony Shouldn’t Have “Lost” Cody Rhodes
During the conversation, Page said that if he was Tony Khan there is “no way” he would have lost Rhodes back to WWE. The WCW legend went on to compare Khan letting Rhodes go to Eric Bischoff firing Steve Austin from WCW back in 1995. Bischoff famously released Austin while he was injured, believing the Texan was hard to work with and wouldn’t be a top star.
Within three years Austin was one of the biggest stars on the planet, and leading WWE in the ratings war against WCW.
“So, when I watch all of that, for starters, if I was Tony Khan, I never let him go. Like, to me, it was like when Eric Bischoff let go of Stone Cold Steve Austin. And I was like, no, not him, not him! And we all know what happened there.”
Cody Rhodes is scheduled to meet Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 39 on April 2nd.
If you use any quotes from this transcription, please credit Inside the Ropes’ Kenny McIntosh and link back to this article with a h/t to Inside the Ropes.