As seen above, All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes revealed the premiere episode of “The Road to Double Or Nothing” on his YouTube channel tonight.
The video reveals that AEW has signed up & coming indie star “Jungle Boy” Nate Coy (Jack Perry). The 21 year old is the son of actor Luke Perry of 90210 fame. He made his debut on the California indie scene back in 2015. It was rumored that AEW had offered a two-year deal but Jungle Boy brought his father and their lawyers to the negotiations, deciding on a shorter deal. The length of the deal has not been confirmed.
Regarding the big AEW Double Or Nothing event on May 25 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Cody said he’s not sure who he will wrestle yet. There will be a Double Or Nothing Ticket Announcement Party on Thursday, February 7 at 6pm local time from the MGM Grand Hotel. The party will be streamed live online.
Cody also talks about Chris Jericho signing with AEW and how AEW is looking to build the roster up with fresh talents.
Over the last week, we’ve heard many of the names that will comprise All Elite Wrestling’s active roster. From Cody and The Young Bucks to Hangman Page and Chris Jericho, the roster is taking shape and fans can expect a solid product in the ring.
But there hasn’t been as much discussion about the behind-the-scenes personnel involved with AEW. Outside of Billy Gunn being a producer, we haven’t heard much else about the agents, production staff or writers.
There’s a good reason for that as Cody Rhodes said that the promotion isn’t looking to hire writers any time soon. Cody had an interview with sescoops.com where he said the “wrestlers are the writers” and talent doesn’t need to be micro-managed.
“We’re talking bullet points, we’re talking an overall knowledge of the business, and hey, let them go out and play,” said Cody. “Take a look back at the wrestling you and I love. For the most part, they’re all grown men and women doing what they were hired to do. They’ve cut their teeth, they’ve paid their dues and now they’re going to go out there and play their music. I would very much like a presentation that mirrors that. We don’t need to micro-manage and we certainly don’t need to script a great deal of the product we’re planning.”
Cody said he has good relationships with lots of available writers/producers out there including Eric Bischoff, Bruce Prichard and Jim Cornette. But for now, he plans on keeping things in-house and let the talent be the driving forces behind AEW Creative.
“This is probably going to be an unpopular thing to say, but I will say it. There won’t be a writer hired for All Elite Wrestling any time soon,” admitted Cody. “Because wrestlers are the writers. We’re the writers. Like I said with guys going out there and playing their own music, believe me – the day comes that I see ‘this is something we can really benefit from’ – absolutely, but I knew 40 writers in WWE and about four of them actually did anything. The reason I remember them and value them, they helped produce pre-tapes, they were team players, so right now that’s one thing we’ve gotten a lot of questions about. We’re keeping it very in-house for now.”
Some of this could be due to budget concerns or it could be, as Cody said, many writers don’t actually do much to impact the product. As of now All Elite Wrestling has just one event on its schedule with Double or Nothing in May, so there is also not likely a need for a writing team at this time.
One of the hot topics in wrestling since, essentially, the beginning of wrestling has been health insurance for those in the ring. Promotions view their wrestlers as independent contractors rather than employees, and thus, they don’t offer health insurance for one of the most dangerous jobs in sports entertainment.
All Elite Wrestling is trying to do something different in the wrestling world in more ways than one and that includes health insurance. Some AEW employees will receive health insurance and other benefits as Matt Jackson and Cody Rhodes explained at their launch rally.
“I don’t know if it’s something that [AEW President] Tony [Khan] would want to talk about further, but the big thing for All Elite is that we want to take care of the boys,” stated Matt Jackson.
“So many times you hear stories from wrestlers past or legends where they don’t have anything left and there’s nothing to show for it. One thing that we’ve always wanted to do is, if we started a wrestling organization, we wanted to take care of the guys. So, that’s one thing we’re working on.
“The executives are gonna have benefits and stuff. They’re gonna get taken care of. We’re in the day one process of that and we’re still working on it. But that’s the plan.”
The executives include The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes who are all EVPs as well as Brandi Rhodes who is Chief Brand Officer. Matt was asked if AEW talent might receive benefits one day.
“Maybe one day. Never say never,” said Matt. “We’re early on. We’re creeping up with that door barely open, so hopefully one day we can swing it wide open.”
Cody was also asked about talent receiving health insurance and benefits and he said that AEW will be similar to WWE in that they will take care of anyone that gets hurt in their ring.
“A lot of concerns that guys will have is what happens if I get hurt in the ring? Because that’s the one thing WWE covers and we can confirm anyone that gets hurt in an AEW ring will be 100 percent taken care of by AEW,” revealed Cody.
Cody then made a comparison between wrestling and Hollywood which insures its actors and actresses through labor unions such as SAG-AFTRA.
“I’d like to see wrestling just like the television industry,” said Cody. “I’ve done a few bit roles here and there but that treatment and that care you get for your time on-screen, you have a comparable influence as a pro wrestler. You’re just as recognizable and you should be just as taken care of.”
The new All Elite Wrestling promotion officially launched yesterday with their Double Or Nothing rally at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.
The biggest news coming out of the rally was the signing of future WWE Hall of Famer Chris Jericho, who closed the rally and announced that he is all in with AEW. Jericho said he’s with AEW because he believes in doing something new and something different, not for the money because he’s already got the money.
AEW also announced that their Double Or Nothing event will take place on Saturday, May 25 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. They announced a second AEW event for Jacksonville to be held at a later date but details were not released. There were also no details on a possible TV deal or any kind of online distribution but more announcements will be made in the future.
AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes spoke at the rally and confirmed the AEW women’s division, noting that they want this to be a strong division with the strongest women’s wrestlers in the world. Brandi said AEW cares about their female wrestlers and will be paying them equally with the male competitors. She said Cody agrees with her that there will be no sliding scale when it comes to pay. Regarding her role as CBO, Brandi said it will come with lots of hard work and long nights, but she is 100% committed to helping bring AEW to the level it’s supposed to be at, which she guaranteed.
Regarding the Khan family, several of the speakers gave thanks to Tony Khan and his father, Shad Khan. We noted that the Khans confirmed their roles with the company. Matt Jackson noted during the rally that the Khan family approached them after All In last year and asked them if they really wanted to change the world, then offered to really help make that happen.
It looks like AEW will be working with other promotions as well. Matt said they have come to an agreement with OWE (Oriental Wrestling Entertainment) in China, and that they will bring OWE into AEW to give them a major spotlight. Matt promised fans will love OWE if they’re not already familiar with them, praising the promotion for the “gifted” in-ring work they bring. It was also interesting that PAC (Neville) carried his Dragon Gate Open the Dream Gate Title when he came out for a confrontation with “Hangman” Page.
Cody Rhodes announced on Twitter before the really that former WWE Tag Team Champion Billy Gunn is the first agent for the promotion. He is the only producer announced as of this writing. Coming out of the rally, below is the confirmed roster for the promotion:
* Cody Rhodes (Executive Vice President)
* Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks (Executive Vice President)
* Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks (Executive Vice President)
* Brandi Rhodes (Chief Brand Officer)
* Billy Gunn (Agent)
* Chris Jericho
* PAC fka Neville
* “Hangman” Adam Page
* Britt Baker
* Joey Janela with Penelope Ford
* MJF
* Christopher Daniels of SoCal Uncensored
* Frankie Kazarian of SoCal Uncensored
* Scorpio Sky of SoCal Uncensored
The rally was trending on Twitter, before it even began. Hosts Conrad Thompson and Alex Marvez noted that more than 100,000 fans were watching the rally across the various platforms. I believe the YouTube stream peaked at around 60,000 live viewers. The rally featured pyro on the stage they used, and a larger fireworks display from inside the stadium, which is the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars mascot, Jaxson de Ville, and their cheerleaders were also featured.
Below is the video of Cody with Gunn, along with various shots from the press conference and the full stream video.
IWGP US Champion Cody Rhodes is currently in the UK and during his time there he appeared on Fight Forever Wrestling’s production of Bruce Prichard’s Something To Wrestle podcast.
Responding to a fan question about returning to WWE, Rhodes noted he had “passed on the WWE offer a few weeks ago” and felt there is a market for non-PG wrestling after the success of “All In”back in September. The Young Bucks and Rhodes’ self-financed show in Chicago sold-out in a flash, and ever since there has been talk of not only an “All In 2” but a whole new All Elite Wrestling promotion.
Speaking of a follow-up to “All In,” Rhodes teased, “Hypothetically, would it necessarily be ‘All In 2’… or ‘All In: International?” Rhodes continued about the potential of having an international show.
“There are two major territories outside of the US in terms of wrestling: the UK and Australia,” Rhodes said. “If you put up a ring, they will come.”
The group has already moved away from the NJPW owned, Bullet Club, now going as The Elite. Rhodes (along with Adam Page and the Young Bucks) have repeatedly reminded fans they will be free agents on January 1. For Rhodes, his contract with ROH has already finished up, but he will be wrestling in his final match this Friday at ROH Final Battle against ROH World Champion Jay Lethal.
ROH COO Joe Koff spoke to Wrestling Inc last month and commented on if he thought The Elite would return to ROH.
“I don’t think so, and I don’t think that’s new news either,” Koff said. “They definitely have something in mind … and I’m very thankful for Cody and The Young Bucks and Page and their contributions to ROH. They were part of our great year. They’ll always be a part of the ROH family and I’m always excited when people choose to take a different direction or go in a different direction because it’s exciting for them as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.”
Ever since the commercial and critical success of All In, there has been rampant speculation that Cody and The Young Bucks aren’t done making history. If the trio were able to pull off a successful independent pay-per-view, what’s stopping them from creating a successful wrestling promotion?
Cody hasn’t addressed the rumors of him starting a new promotion head on, but he did tease some information regarding it during a meet and greet in Melbourne, Australia. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that when asked about a new promotion, Cody said to wait for January as an announcement would be made. Cody also said the announcement “would be bigger than anyone expects.”
Cody’s tease comes on the heels of news which may or may not be related to the planned announcement. Last week it was reported that the co-owner of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars filed trademarks for a promotion called “All Elite Wrestling.” This, obviously, could be a play off The ELITE faction in which Cody and The Bucks are a part of in New Japan and ROH.
Additionally, All Elite Wrestling, LLC also registered trademarks for “ALL OUT” and “Double or Nothing” among others. “Double or Nothing” is the rumored name for the All In 2 pay-per-view which would supposedly be held in Las Vegas.
January 2019 is turning out to be a monumental month for Cody and The Young Bucks. It’s already well-known that Cody is now a free agent and the Bucks will be come the end of the year. Cody hasn’t shied away from the fact that they could show up in WWE or somewhere else at that time. This latest news would seem to throw cold water on those plans but no one outside of Cody and The Bucks know what’s really going to happen.
Cody Rhodes took to Twitter today and revealed his big plans for the Ring of Honor World Title.
Regarding his match with ROH World Champion Jay Lethal at Final Battle on Friday, December 14 in New York City, Rhodes said he plans on leaving the company with the title and taking it into free agency.
Cody wrote, “Jay was the first match I had in ROH two years ago. He will be my last. And I will take the World Championship into free agency.”
You can see his tweet and the poster for the match below:
Cody Rhodes had an injury scare over the weekend, but a trip to the doctor has revealed he’ll still be good to go for Final Battle and Wrestle Kingdom 13.
Rhodes announced he heard a loud pop in his knee while teasing a t-shirt toss at an ROH event on Friday. Because of this, he was forced to miss an IWGP United States title defense against Trent.
After visiting a physician on Monday, Rhodes shared an update:
GOOD news is my doctor is fairly confident that my mcl/pcl/acl are structurally sound. BAD news is the meniscus is fairly damaged, gonna’ require a scope. No dates will be adjusted at the moment, and I’ll definitely still compete in the final battle main event & at WK.
The much talked about free agency of about half the Bullet Club continues to gain stream through not only the ticking countdown and WWE related notes from “H” on Being the Elite, but through social media, as well.
Earlier this month, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Marty Scurll, and Adam Page tweeted out somewhat similar words about selling their “final Bullet Club style shirt” while adding, “it also might be my favorite.” The group looks to be distancing themselves for either a move to WWE or staying put and simply working under their own group name, like “The Elite.”
Today, Cody wrote he’s “100% not in the Bullet Club” during a fan Q&A on Twitter. Also noting at this month’s NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling the “new” Bullet Club was featured with Jay White, Gedo, and Jado joining up with the Bullet Club “OGs” and he wasn’t involved at all in that segment.
It’s weird folks are struggling with this. The last major njpw show featured a segment showcasing the new BC and I wasnt in it. This ain’t a mystery. I am 100% not in the bullet club, 100% the bullet club is awesome and will continue/thrive.
Somewhat separate from this story is Rhodes losing the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship back to Nick Aldis in a two-out-of-three falls match over the weekend at NWA 70 in Nashville, Tennessee.
On Instagram, Rhodes commented on the success of the event and thanked the fans who tuned in. Rhodes also said he’s beginning to “transition to a new role in pro wrestling.” We most likely won’t know what that new role is until the new year.
“As I begin a transition to a new role in pro-wrestling, I hope all the fans who’ve discovered the NWA recently…stay on board and continue to watch the likes of Nick Aldis, Avalon, Willie Mack, Jazz and many more. As I continue my remaining dates with the good folks at ROH, I’d like to thank them and The NWA for allowing me to cross imaginary lines and give the fans something special!”
As early as the conclusion of ‘ALL IN’, Cody [Rhodes] and The Young Bucks not so subtly suggested that ‘ALL IN 2’ may already be in the works. The current trademark filings of Killing The Business, Inc. with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) indicate that the ‘ALL IN’ pay-per-view that took place last month in Hoffman Estates, Illinois may never have been the group’s endgame.
According to the initial trademark application filed in May 2018 on behalf of Dana Massie, Matt Jackson’s wife and President of Killing The Business, Inc., the ‘ALL IN’ trademark was meant for more than just the single pay-per-view event. Among other things, the filing provides for multiple professional wrestling events and even “ongoing television programs”.
“Entertainment in the nature of professional wrestling matches, exhibitions, and tournaments and ongoing television programs in the field of professional wrestling; organizing and conducting professional wrestling matches, exhibitions, and tournaments; production and syndication of television programs featuring professional wrestling matches, exhibitions, tournaments and performances.”
Notably, on September 14, 2018, the USPTO delivered to Killing The Business, Inc. a letter requiring further action to finalize the approval of the ‘ALL IN’ trademark. The letter indicated that “the nature of the exhibitions organized and conducted must be clarified” and the “applicant must amend this wording to specify the common commercial or generic name for the goods and/or services.” Killing The Business, Inc. has six months from September 14, 2018 to satisfy the USPTO as to the meaning of “exhibitions”. Otherwise, the ‘ALL IN’ trademark will be considered abandoned and fair game for any trademark applicant to snap up the mark.
Basically, what that means is that Killing The Business, Inc. is being given six months to clarify to the USPTO what kind of “exhibitions” they are planning using the “All In” trademark. “Exhibitions” could be just a normal pro wrestling show or something as grand as a convention, ala Starrcast. The USPTO just wants to know what Killing The Business, Inc. means by “exhibitions”.
On a related note, Killing The Business, Inc.’s trademark for ‘Young Bucks’ will be published for opposition on October 23, 2018, today. This means that the ‘Young Bucks’ trademark will be registered to Killing The Business, Inc., according to the USPTO, provided that no other party steps forward to contest the registration of the trademark within 30 days of today. If no one steps forward to contest it within the next 30 days, then it will be owned by Killing The Business, Inc.
Only time will tell what the future holds for the Bullet Club Elite members who have vowed to take their next steps together as a group.
