Tony Khan has addressed Cody Rhodes’s recent comments about his departure from AEW, offering a diplomatic response to claims of “bad blood.” Back in July, Rhodes appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast and discussed his exit, noting that being disrespected in AEW felt different than it would have in WWE because AEW was a promotion that he helped build.
Rhodes stated at the time that despite the clear tension, there was still love and respect between himself and the company. During a new interview with Q101 in Chicago, Khan was asked about these specific remarks. Khan noted that the current WWE Champion is usually gracious when speaking about his former employer, so he is willing to look past the comments.
“He does a lot of interviews,” Khan said. “And I think when you have to say so many words so often, because he works so hard. He works such a big schedule. And to his credit, I’d bet he does hundreds of interviews a year. And I’m not sure I agree with that, but I also would give him the benefit of the doubt that I’ve heard him say a lot of positive things too. And for somebody that doesn’t work here and that’s involved in the competitive promotion, he’s usually pretty gracious with the things he says. And I’ve seen him since he’s been gone. And it’s always been very positive and good. I have only good things to say about him and his contributions here.”
Rhodes and Khan were both founding fathers of AEW and remain two of the most important figures in its history. A “personal issue” caused Rhodes to leave in 2022, though he has never fully explained what that issue was. Despite the split, Rhodes has publicly stated he is rooting for AEW to succeed and believes its existence is vital to the health of the wrestling industry.
Since returning to WWE, Rhodes has solidified his spot as one of the top stars in the industry. He currently holds the WWE Championship and is preparing for a title defense against Drew McIntyre on the January 9 episode of SmackDown.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Q101 with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
