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Alongside his on-screen role in AEW, Cody Rhodes was a crucial backstage figure for the company. Ortiz of the Inner Circle spoke about how the American Nightmare helped him get a job in Tony Khan's company.
It was announced a few hours back that Brandi and Cody Rhodes had parted ways in All Elite Wrestling. It was a shocking revelation, causing an outpouring of love from several stars within the company.
Speaking to Chase McCabe, Ortiz said the following:
"Man, helping to build AEW was such an integral part of the company and to me personally and to Santana, he was one of the first people that contacted us about coming to AEW after we did the first Jericho cruise. Cody was on there... We wrestled with Bucks. The Bucks really liked our match and then Cody was the first person that maybe that day after we got off the boat," Ortiz recalled.
Ortiz had more good things to say about Cody Rhodes in AEW
Ortiz revealed that Cody Rhodes contacted him and Santana when they had about a year left in their Impact Wrestling deal. He kept in touch with them until their old contract ran out and was the first to offer them an All Elite deal.
The Inner Circle member deemed Rhodes "very important" to him and Santana and went on to wish the best to the Rhodes couple for their future.
"He was the first person to contact us and say, 'hey man, what's going on with you guys?'. We were at Impact Wrestling at the time and they were like 'well what's going on with you guys and Impact'. I think we had less than a year left on our contract there, and it's Cody's testament he kept in touch with us throughout the whole 8 months that we had left and he was the first person we contacted about coming to AEW, so I mean, he helped us get our job there... So yeah, man, best wishes to him and Brandi. And yeah man, huge thanks to Cody. Definitely very important to me and Santana," Ortiz said.
Cody Rhodes was a producer for Dark, an essential part of community outreach programs, and a trainer at the Nightmare Factory wrestling school. He will be a big miss for the company moving forward.
Where would you like to see Cody next? Let us know in the comments below.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Chase McCabe and give an h/t to Sportskeeda for the transcription.
