MJF Details Backstage Reaction To Cody Rhodes AEW Departure

AEW

2022 has been a wild year for All Elite Wrestling, and thw rollercoaster of a year for the company began right at the start of the year, when one of the executive vice presidents of the company, Cody Rhodes, departed the company.

Cody stayed away from wrestling for a few months before he returned to WWE after six years away at WrestleMania 38 Night One as the mystery opponent for Seth Rollins.

A few months later was the MJF saga in AEW, with his future in the company up in the air. MJF has referenced Cody leaving WWE multiple times since WrestleMania, with him also heavily teasing his departure from AEW in 2024.

MJF recently spoke to Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, where he spoke about Cody’s departure from the company, and why he doesn’t blame Cody for his decision.

He said:

“I cannot speak on Cody Rhodes’ behalf, but what I will say is this: A lot of people are very into tribalism these days in professional wrestling, it’s cute, I dig it. If you look historically at our industry, I’ll give you a prime example. Okay. Let’s talk Terry Funk. Massive, major star in the history of professional wrestling. Did Terry Funk only wrestle for one company in the entirety of his career? No … Terry Funk, like me, was a massive draw. So, I do not blame Cody Rhodes for his decision. Cody Rhodes did what was best for Cody Rhodes.”

MJF then carried on, discussing the backstage reaction to Cody’s departure among the AEW locker room.

He explained:

“Not favorably in the sense that, ‘Yay, Cody’s gone,’ but favorably in the sense that we’re all professional wrestlers and what happens when somebody leaves is, it opens room for opportunities for another person to step up to the plate. When big names leave, big names step up. That’s just how this business works … I think people who were friends with Cody were sad to see him go on a personal level, but this is a very competitive sport.”

Also during the interview, MJF confirmed that he did sign a new deal with AEW, but noted that the deal did not include a contract extension.

transcription via Wrestling Inc.

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• mjf
• Cody Rhodes
• AEW
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