Cody Rhodes Predicts Big Things for Battle of the Belts & AEW in 2022
Cody Rhodes wants to continue making AEW events bigger in 2022, starting with AEW Battle of the Belts special, and expects 2022 to be AEW’s biggest year till now.
Cody joined Fite TV’s Fite in Focus and talked about AEW Battle of the Belts special. He expressed that he is excited that AEW President Tony Khan named the special Battle of the Belts and revealed that professional wrestlers love their belts just like awards in any other profession.
“I am really excited that Tony named it Battle of the Belts, because it’s right there in the name. I disliked this in wrestling, this is really across the board, not speaking anything specifically, when a belt has been tarnished and they have lost to their value. If you talk to wrestlers, we love our belts. Most wrestlers who are worth their salt have their own display of the belts they have ever won and it’s a significant thing. No different than Hollywood when you win an Academy Award. It’s unique in that sense. And him naming it Battle of the Belts and put the emphasis on the titles.”
Cody then added that AEW is not capable of putting bad shows at this point and he is excited about the Battle of the Belts because big things happen on such events.
“I am not sure if all titles will be defended in this very first TNT special but we do know that with just that in mind, it being the very first special that we are doing as part of the new contract, knowing us – me, Kenny, The Bucks and Tony, that’s not one we can leave to.. we are not capable, we are not able at this point to have a B+ show. Everything has to be A+. And that’s something I am looking forward to, that we can still make these new memories and we are going to continue to make them.
I am excited about Battle of the Belts because it reminds me of Clash of the Champions. It’s a special and big things happen on nights like that. We are not capable of never having a big night but we are capable of making our nights bigger.”
He was then asked about what the fans can expect from AEW in 2022. Cody said that he expects 2022 to be the biggest year for the company so far.
“2022.. I think its easy to say it will be AEW’s best year yet. We are moving into our next phase of our relationship with Fite, our relationship with WarnerMedia.. New Talent is coming in, contracts coming up.. All that crazy stuff you hear about makes for a really good wrestling television. Wrestling is best when it could be as real as it could be. As real as you could make it atleast.”
Cody also talked about big possibilities that could open up for AEW in 2022 with a new set of talent, along with and big faces like Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.
“It’s also wonderful to see. Tony, I think, calls them the new face of AEW, kind of a new generation. He talks about these new free agents, that is a wonderful dichotomy from the OGs, from the original. And that also create great wrestling and great stories, to mix and match those characters and dip those toes into different sets of water. I imagine it will be our biggest and most successful year yet. And I hope fans don’t take that as me being arrogant or anything of that nature. We continue to grow for three years and I don’t see us stopping, because we love it too much. We genuinely do. If you come backstage at AEW, there is no place like it. It has its own egos and problems, people not liking each other. But for the most part, that’s the most team effort place that I have been part of in my life.
The TNT Champion also expects to add some international flavor with the travel ban relaxing in 2022.
“I see AEW having a very big banner year. The specials are part of it in 2022. Maybe, it’s just from me, not from AEW, we may see some international flavor now that travel bans are now loosening up. That’s just me.”
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