In this WrestleTalk News, have talks broken down between Cody Rhodes and WWE?
WWE freeze Russia out of their programming and what Tony Khan plans to do with Ring of
Honor and WWE’s play to buy it!
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In what might be the biggest defection in modern wrestling history - AEW original and
former Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes is reported to be jumping ship back to the
ship he left to build his own ship which he now doesn’t like.
Wrestling.
However, after an initial flurry of speculation and some not-so-subtle teasing by WWE, Sean
Ross Sapp reported in a Q&A session that things had eerily gone quiet on the Cody in WWE contract
talks front.
Now Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net is saying that while investigating Tony Khan’s purchase
of Ring of Honor with sources within AEW, he was told that Brandi and Cody Rhodes leaving
the company was “very much real life, and was not a work”.
They were also told that discussions between WWE and Cody had been ongoing, but that those
“conversations had since fizzled out”.
If this is true then it leaves Cody in a bit of a weird position, unable to return to WWE
and you would assume work with a lot of his dad’s copyrighted ideas and now potentially
having to return cap in hand to the company he walked out on.
But its always been said that the bridges haven’t been burned back in AEW and one
source Bodyslam spoke to said that there is hope Cody could be brought back into the AEW
fold, with the idea even floated that he would take up a new role involved in the ROH acquisition.
What do you think Cody should do?
What would you like to see him do?
Let me know in the comments down below!
Obviously Tony Khan buying Ring of Honor is a huge deal - not only because it nets him
a vast video content library, but also links to some of the best talent in the business
and another brand to do with as he pleases.
But there was almost a world in which Ring of Honor belonged to a different billionaire:
VKM.
According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider there had been interest from WWE in purchasing the
company back when the hiatus was announced last year.
The two sides had even reportedly entered into discussions in December but those talks
ended without a deal being reached.
Overtures to buy ROH had previously been made back when Triple H had been in power, before
Nick Khan dismantled everything he had built.
Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer noted that back i 2018 was when Trips tried
to convince Vince to buy ROH, but ultimately Vinny Mac wanted to “buy somebody bigger.”
So WWE went after NJPW, Stardom, NOAH and AAA but weren’t willing to pay the right
price to make that happen.
More on that in a moment, but first this!
So yeah, WWE had made a play for ROH, but somewhere along the way talks broke down,
there’s apparently a lot of that going around, right Cody?
So when Tony Khan announced that he had purchased the company many were shocked in WWE, they
thought he was either buying a Japanese promotion or thought he would be announcing a streaming
deal with HBO Max.
Since the news broke plenty of people have been digging in trying to find more info on
the ins and outs of the deal.
Bodyslam noted that Khan paid in the $30-$40 million range for ROH, which comes after a
report said one person was in talks to buy the company in early 2020 for a discussed
$40 million and one buyer was offered 50% ownership for $30 million.
This all came at a time when ROH had multiple high profile talent contracts and before the
hiatus was announced - which could have dropped the price considerably.
Wrestling Observer Radio said that the ROH Tape library would have been one of the key
factors in the deal as AEW want a streaming service in some form and Khan noted in Wednesday’s
press release that he will immediately begin exploring opportunities to make the ROH video
library available to fans.
Which is all well and good, but never mind the old stuff, what is TK going to do with
the new stuff?
How will Ring of Honor fit into his wrestling empire?
Whelp, Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net has been busy and reported that Khan is essentially
looking to make Ring of Honor the developmental brand for AEW.
No-one is quite sure what that means right now, but it is speculated that it could act
like an NXT style brand to the main roster AEW branded shows.
It was also reported by Bodyslam that ‘main’ AEW talent would be expected to turn up to
the company on occasion, but as we’ve had no indication of how, when or where Ring of
Honor programming will return remains to be seen.
There are even a few pre-existing show dates that have been left up in the air because
of the deal.
Ring of Honor as AEW developmental might not float every boat, but considering most of
their major talents right now got their start there it does make some sort of sense.
Onto some WWE news now an the company issued a statement yesterday to say that they have
shut down the WWE Network in Russia.
It read: “WWE has terminated its partnership with Russian broadcaster Match and shut down
WWE Network in Russia effective immediately.
The move eliminates access in Russia to any WWE programming, including the company’s
weekly Raw, SmackDown and NXT shows, its on-demand library, and all of its premium live events,
including WrestleMania 38.”
This is clearly a response to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the war that
has now spread across the former Soviet country.
A lot of companies are pulling their products and services out of Russia as conflict continues,
and many countries have hit them with economic and business sanctions - essentially a soft
power way to dissuade Russia from further violence without using military force.
In the abstract Putin’s not going to stop a war because he can’t watch Brock vs Roman
at Mania, but if enough companies make life different and difficult enough for Russia,
those who are following their president into a pig-headed war might just think twice.
In lighter news, Vince McMahon took part in his first live interview in 15 years when
he appeared on the Pat McAfee Show yesterday - which I covered in a breaking news video
for WrestleTalk last night.
And is linked in the video description down below if you want the full scoop.
One thing announced during the show was that Vinny Mac is going to be personally inducting
the Undertaker into the WWE Hall of Fame, an honor only three people have ever had the
of.
One of which is Donal Trump.
Taker responded to this news saying: “After over 30 years of long roads traveled, countless
hours of TV, and one hell of a ride together…
couldn’t think of anyone better to put me in the #WWEHOF than @VinceMcMahon.
One final ride together, old-timer!!!”
Vince said this will be the most difficult thing he has done in his career, because he
gets genuinely emotional talking about what Mark Calloway means to him.
So the Hall of Fame is going to be a very uncomfortable watch I imagine - a man who
hates emotion gets emotional.
If he sneezes all hell is going to break loose.
While the old WWE hands get tucked away into the Hall of Fame, some fresh blood is needed
to swell the ranks, and WWE will be doing that with another set of tryouts.
Interestingly this round calls for “more than 50 male and female participants with
collegiate athletic backgrounds across football, basketball, track and field, wrestling, volleyball,
gymnastics, cheer and dance.’
according to a press release.
The event is invite only meaning that WWE has doubled down on the new direction of hiring
athletic talent from outside of the wrestling sphere and seemingly won’t be inviting any
independent wrestlers along to this latest tryout in Frisco, Texas.
It means WWE will be focussing on talent with Vince’s preferred look and then just teaching
the WWE style to them - if you’ve been annoyed with the direction of NXT 2.0 so far, it is
only going to get more extreme seemingly.
With collegiate athletes in developmental, Pat McAfee at Mania, because that was also
announced yesterday, what else could WWE be doing to move away from wrestlers wrestling.
Oh yeah, bringing back Tyson Fury - the boxer told Give Me Sport during an interview that:
“One million percent, you will see me in the WWE again.
One million percent.”
Fury competed against Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel and reportedly made a pretty penny from
the appearance, whether WWE will stump up the cash again for a regular event or wait
until another Saudi show comes round remains to be seen, but Fury clearly has his wrestling
return on his mind.
Finally a rapid update on Bayley, who is speculated to be returning from her injury time very
soon.
Many thought she would return for a Mania match, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider is reporting that the current plan is for the former Smackdown
Women’s Champion to return to TV screens post-Mania.
Though that doesn’t rule out an appearance at the event - just likely not
a match.