Indie News: Austin Aries comments on a possible match against Cody Rhodes

What's the story?

Former WWE Cruiserweight Austin Aries appeared on the Arm Drag Takedown podcast and was asked about returning to his stomping grounds -- Ring of Honor -- to take on Cody Rhodes.

A-Double responded positively and also spoke about how much more money he is about to make after leaving WWE.

In case you didn't know...

The former TNA World Heavyweight Champion was released in July after a frustrating run with the company that saw him unsuccessfully challenge Neville for the Cruiserweight title on various occasions.

However, creative frustrations were not the reason behind his release as Aries never even asked for it in the first place, according to Dave Meltzer. WWE let Aries got as he was said to be a very unpopular figure backstage.

Aries' 90-day no-compete clause came to an end on October 5th, enabling him to take bookings in the independent circuit.

The heart of the matter

On being asked about the possible showdown with Cody for the ROH World Championship, Aries said that he would be up for it if Cody somehow managed to hold onto the title until he made a comeback to the promotion.

Aries mentioned that he was aware of the pressure that comes along with being the ROH Champion, something that he experienced when he held the title on two different occasions. He credited Cody for doing a great job with the title and added that he would be up for a match against the Rhodes scion even in a non-title programme.

"He’s one of those guys I haven’t had a chance to get in there and tangle with. Yeah, I’d love that opportunity, no matter where it is, but if it’s for the Ring of Honor Championship, all the better. It just raises the stakes.”

The 6-time TNA Division Champion also commented on his financial status since leaving WWE. Aries claimed that he would be making more money in the next 30 days than he made in his best month with the WWE. In another surprising claim, Aries said he would surpass his WWE figures in 12 dates only and not the usual 20 dates he was used to working.

He concluded by saying, "Is that going to be there forever? Is that going to be there for everybody? Not necessarily. Do I owe a lot of that to the fact I was just wrestling with WWE? Absolutely. That’s not lost on me.”

What's next?

Expect the former ROH World Champion to make a wave in the independent scene now as his no-compete clause with the WWE has expired. ROH, NJPW, Impact Wrestling, Lucha Underground or many other promotions would have no problems in signing up the 'Greatest Man That Ever Lived'.

An ROH title feud against the arguably the biggest name in the indies would do wonders for Aries. A returning Austin Aries vs. Cody has all the makings of an ROH classic, and we really hope the promotion makes it happen.

Author's take

It's a damn shame that WWE couldn't capitalize on the greatness of Austin Aries whatever the situation may have been backstage. WWE's loss is every other company's gain.

I'm pretty sure Aries will come back to ROH -- a place he surely considers home -- for one final run and a possible encounter with the man who has also been making a fortune since leaving WWE, Cody Rhodes.

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