cody rhodes
Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Cody Rhodes Confirms He’s Working With AEW On A Handshake Deal

Cody Rhodes sets the record straight about his AEW status.

After he lost the TNT Championship to Sammy Guevara in a ladder match on Dynamite, Cody Rhodes reflected on the match during a backstage interview and confirmed his contract status as well. Fightful Select previously reported that Rhodes’ AEW contract had expired, and Rhodes said the story was legit, adding that he was currently working on a handshake deal.

“You asked for post-match comments, there’s so many elephants in the room. This is an insane week in wrestling. People think that the Sean Ross story is B.S. — it’s not. I am working here without a contract, I’m not even on payroll anymore. I’m here on a handshake deal, that is 100% legitimate, I swear on Pharaoh’s life, if you want to know how serious things got. But I can tell you this — I have never felt more at home than under those lights wrestling for the TNT title, a title that will never, ever, ever be secondary because of matches like that.

“Old-school promoters will tell you that the title can make the man or the man can make the title. At this point, we don’t know which is which. I’m very proud of Sammy Guevara, I absolutely wish I could go home to my baby girl, to my family and say ‘TNT Champion again.’ A belt that was synonymous with my name, it doesn’t look like it’s just going to be about me. Brody, Miro, Darby, Sammy, myself… I’m slow when it comes to rematches, but maybe I won’t be so slow to get my rematch on this one. But for now, I’m going to take a beat and get with Arn. Arn’s been there my whole career, I’m going to think about it. Again, an insane week where I have heard the most wonderful, crazy things from all walks of the wrestling world on what it is that I do next. But like I said, I’ve never felt more at home than wrestling for that title in front of a crowd like that. Thank you.”

Rhodes won the TNT Championship for a third time on the Holiday Bash episode of AEW Rampage that aired on December 25. Rhodes was then pulled from television due to not being medically cleared, and Guevara won the Interim TNT Championship at Battle Of The Belts on January 8. The ladder match was proposed on January 20 by Rhodes, with Guevara now serving as the Undisputed TNT Champion.

Check out full Dynamite Beach Break results at this link, and watch the full promo below:

Related: Cody Rhodes’ AEW Contract Expired, Currently Working As A Free Agent

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