Before there was All Elite Wrestling, there was ALL IN (2018). In Summer 2017, Cody Rhodes took a bet that he could self-promote an independent wrestling event alongside The Young Bucks that would sell out a 10,000-seat arena. Over the next 16 months, ALL IN was born. This indie wrestling spectacle, powered in part by Ring of Honor, brought top names from across the industry to a never-before-seen stage. The then face of New Japan Pro Wrestling Kazuchika Okada competed in singles action. Jay Lethal put the ROH World Title on the line. Chris Jericho took out Kenny Omega in a surprise appearance.
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While most of ALL IN‘s matches were fun one-offs, one bout in particular came with a months-long story: NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis vs. Cody Rhodes. Seeking to capture the title his father, the late “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, once held, Rhodes and Aldis engaged in a bitter feud throughout the summer en route to meeting one-on-one in the Sears Centre Arena that September.
Nick Aldis Felt “Betrayed” During ALL IN
The National Treasure wanted a heads up.
Speaking to Inside The Ropes Magazine, Nick Aldis reflected on his experience at ALL IN (2018), noting he felt “betrayed” by the under-plotting during the event.
“I think in this business, if you start playing the comparison game, you can really go down a rabbit hole of bitterness and resentment very quickly. I felt a little bit betrayed when I found out that they were all familiar, they were all aware of Tony Khan and they’d been sort of plotting this thing (AEW),” Aldis said. “As we progressed a couple of months forward, it was clear it was a done deal. In that respect, I felt I could have been informed of that sooner.”
Khan began working on All Elite Wrestling in April 2018. While specific timelines regarding when he approached Rhodes and The Young Bucks about the concept are unclear, it’s worth noting that Rhodes teased going “double or nothing” with ALL IN after the event went off the air. “Double or Nothing” would become the name of AEW’s inaugural event.
“I just looked at it from the perspective of that piece of business, meaning Cody and I at ALL IN did nothing but good things for all of everyone involved,” Aldis continued. “It wasn’t like people looked at me as if I were finished. We tore the house down and we had the match that everybody remembers, the real main event of that show. That built my credibility, and off the back of that we were able to launch an entire show that at that time had a strong sustainable audience.”
Aldis would be approached to join AEW around the time of its launch but ultimately turned it down, citing loyalty to the NWA at the time. He currently works for WWE as WWE SmackDown general manager.
