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Tony Schiavone on His Reaction to Finding Out Cody Rhodes Was Leaving AEW

February 23, 2022 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris
Cody Rhodes AEW Dynamite 11-7-19 Image Credit: AEW

– During the latest edition of the What Happened When podcast, AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone discussed the news of Cody Rhodes and his wife, former AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes, leaving AEW. Below are some highlights (via WrestlingInc.com):

Tony Schiavone on how shocked he was by the news on a scale of 1-10: “10, absolutely a 10 because Cody Rhodes was really, to me, one of the faces of AEW. Obviously, he was, and as we know, Cody was the one who got me in touch with Tony Khan after [Conrad Thompson] got me in touch with Cody and that’s why I signed [with AEW]. Of course, I’m very close to the family, we went on many bus rides together to Jacksonville. I consider him and Brandi friends and I think we’re a better organization today because of him. I’d like to wish them both the best for what they’ve done for me and they played a major role in what AEW was and is.”

On how he feels after the initial shock: “As I know and as I kind of said after you get over the shock of it you think, you know what? It’s wrestling, it happens. This is the first one that’s left our company but it’s one of the biggest names that left our company and that’s why it’s the biggest shock. I’m very surprised, I hope he does well. Most feel that he’s going to the WWE, I haven’t seen anything with the exception of these wacky websites that say that he is, who knows.”

On his correspondence with Cody after hearing the news: “Cody and I are friends and we said our pleasantries basically, texting back and forth. ‘Good luck, sorry that it didn’t work out, I loved working with you, the best to you and Brandi’ and that’s been it.”

After it was announced that Cody and Brandi would be leaving AEW, reports surfaced that Cody had been in contact with WWE officials for a potential return.