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A year since returning to WWE after leaving AEW, Cody Rhodes is scheduled to main event WrestleMania opposite Roman Reigns. Industry veteran and booker Konnan put forward a theory about why the former AEW EVP was signed as such a huge deal.
Rhodes founded All Elite Wrestling alongside Tony Khan and The Elite in 2019, having worked with the latter trio following his initial WWE release in 2016. They promoted AEW's spiritual predecessor, All In, together in 2018.
The event's success essentially served as a proof-of-concept for the promotion's eventual founding.
During Keepin' it 100, Konnan opined that the promotion's emergence as WWE's rival and Cody's prominence on the All Elite roster served as the reason for his eventual return and main event billing.
"My hypothesis is this, he [Cody Rhodes] went in there [AEW], he did some killer promos and I'll never forget the one he did with his brother where he cried which was absolutely great... I think they [WWE] saw, 'okay this guy can talk, he can work, and this is the big first start we could take away from AEW and put it in,' [sic] you know what I'm saying and I think that was part of it," Konnan said. (1:31-2:15)
Check out the full clip below:
The former AEW star won the Royal Rumble on his return to the ring
Rhodes returned to WWE following the expiration of his All Elite Wrestling contract, emerging during WrestleMania 38 to defeat Seth Rollins.
He returned complete with the presentation he had popularized during his All Elite run and featured as a main event attraction until he sustained a torn pectoral ahead of Hell in a Cell 2022.
Despite wrestling with a gruesome injury, Rhodes would not make his return to the ring after that until this year's Royal Rumble. He was announced ahead of time as making his return, entering the match as the esteemed 30th entrant.
He last eliminated Gunther, who had also broken Rey Mysterio's previous record as the longest-surviving entrant, to win his first Rumble match. He has since announced his intention to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title.
What have you made of Cody's WWE run thus far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Keepin' it 100 and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
