Cody Rhodes On How AEW Will Be Different

There’s a significant buzz surrounding the launch of All Elite Wrestling within the wrestling industry, and that buzz is only expected to get louder in the coming weeks as a television deal is likely to be announced.

Plus, the list of the company’s early events should grow, with events currently scheduled for Las Vegas and Jacksonville. Plus, we’ll continue to have more wrestling stars sign on the dotted line to join the new promotion (including possibly the biggest free agent in the industry).

So once the company actually begins holding events, what will make AEW different from WWE and their other competition around the world?

Cody Rhodes recently spoke with TMZ Sports about just that as well as some other interesting topics.

“I think we’re just trying to be an alternative and lean in to the people who supported us last year and do it all again,” Rhodes said. “I think we’re looking for wrestlers, and I don’t knock anything in the mainstream. But that’s what we want in All In, is fresh, fresh product. It’s a mistake if you just try to lead with familiar faces from the days of old because we can’t just keep reminding people that the attitude era was great. We already know it was really great. This era can be really good, too. So, that’s my goal and that’s my job, is to find the fresh guys.”

Rhodes also said the company would be open to using MMA stars if they were interested in learning the pro wrestling trade, though he was quick to note that it can’t be done without a real passion for the industry.

“That might be a fun challenge,” Rhodes admitted. “I think something like that, if they have a passion for wrestling, it really works out. But that’s one of my big knocks: you can’t teach passion, so, as long as somebody’s passionate about it and knows it’s kinda a hard gig, which those guys already bust their ass, I can imagine that could be a cool little crossover.”