Cody Rhodes WWE Release an Elaborate Work?

[Papa Pillman]

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2016/06/30/g1-climax-2016-carmella-wwe/
The important stuff as far as this thread is concerned kicks in at about the 1:23:00 mark.


Joe Lanza on the Voices of Wrestling podcast yesterday broke the story that there is a very real possibility that WWE's release of Cody Rhodes is in fact a "soft release" and all part of a bigger plan hatched by Cody and Triple H.

The theory proposed states that Rhodes is still being paid by WWE inspite of the release and Cody's paydays with EVOLVE are also going to footed by the WWE. The story goes that the release request, honoring, and everything that has followed is all a plan for Cody to hit the indy circuit, work in some hot indy spots, work with some hot names and/or guys the WWE trusts, and "get the Stardust stink" off of him, and return to the company with a "fresh coat of paint" as a guy with a hot rep as a "workrate guy with the hardcores".

He further expounds on all of the parts of the story which support this being the most likely reality for the situation, and he proposes that if you don't see Cody work for ROH/NJPW or TNA that is a very strong indication that the release is indeed a work as those would be the places that WWE would view as some level of competitors, and they would be the only places that the WWE would not allow Rhodes to work as part of this "release".

Upon listening to the entirety of the theory and everything that backs it up, it seems like a very believable circumstance and makes more sense than the whole release, subsequent shoot rundown Rhodes blasted at the company, and possible legends deal which made no sense to be offered to a 31-year old still in his prime as a worker who is appearing for other feds.

If this is all true, I'm gonna label it as brilliant and amazingly executed plan so far by Rhodes and the WWE brass. And the only thing that can cause it to backfire would be Cody failing to impress in his indy run, something that I doubt will happen as I believe in Cody as a worker who can get himself over with his workrate anywhere on the indies against a multitude of opponents.

So far there has been no denial by the WWE or Cody, and if one is to come, the parties are likely in a room somewhere hatching a logical response to try and kill the leak of the reality of the situation.

Here's the Question...

Do you buy Lanza's story? And if so, what do you think of Rhodes'/WWE's plan? And how do you feel about its likelihood for success??

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Call me unfair for not listening but I don't think there is any truth to this based on what you wrote. I don't see HHH or Vince putting money, creativity, time, and effort in to a guy that they pulled back on so many times in the past. Plus isn't ROH the exact place to go to get over with the smarks? As much as other Indy organizations have in credibility, they dont necessarily have the eyes that a ROH or TNA have.

If anything creating a journey that leads Cody back to the WWE may be Cody's plan. He won some good attention with his check list. But overall I highly doubt WWE is in on it and financing it. Especially when Cody is not the worker that they have in Indy darling like AJ and Rollins.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Ever since he first requested his release I have heard that it is all a big work. This is the most elaborate theory I have heard put forth thus far though.

I couldn't see Vince doing something this elaborate and time consuming for a guy of Cody's status, but I could see it from Trips. Cody was always a reliable hand who never seemed to catch that break to push him over the top, so maybe Trips feels this is a way to get Cody over the hump.

I'm still like 95% sure the release is legit though.

 

[therockiswwf]

Nope.

They just keep guys off TV for awhile if they want people to forget their old gimmick. Legends deal for merchandise (probably related to his family rather than specifically him). A guy with a hot workrate among hardcore fans means nothing in WWE.

This is dumb.

 

[Navi]

I'm not buying it. Cody Rhodes was a fan favourtie, he was also well respected by the people he worked with. There is absolutely no reason to do this too get him "over the hump" so to speak. That could have been done with forgoing the Stardust character, which according to reports he wanted to do, and just giving him another gimmick.

God knows they've done it with others and it's worked out well. Nah with Rhodes leaving and then his wife, can't see any reason to cook up with elaborate plan with the end result he would still be an upper midcarder at best.

 

[hatehabsforever]

No chance this is an elaborate ruse. There's no way people in charge in WWE would have the capacity to hatch such an elaborate plan, and there's no real upside to doing so. Plus, there's no way that beating a bunch of relative unknowns (to the casual mainstream fan base) would do anything whatsoever to advance Rhodes's career or to shed the stink of the Stardust gimmick.

It is possible that Rhodes himself may be trying to achieve this on his own. Leave the company, try to re-establish himself separate and distinct from Stardust, and then hope someone in WWE will notice and bring him back. But all a planned angle by WWE from the minds of Triple H or Vince McMahon? No chance in hell.

 

[Navi]

Besides just look at the way the roster has been booked the last few months. The creative department couldn't organize a two car funeral nevermind think up what the OP has suggested was suggested. If that makes sense.

 

[Papa Pillman]

While I agree with the sentiment that a lot of this story smells of conspiracy and a little bullshit for a multitude of reasons(not the least of which being the one that Navi just pointed out), those of you who are downplaying the importance of indy buzz and hot workrate guys to the WWE and its fanbase right now are acting very ignorant to current landscape of the company and pro wrestling in general.

The WWE over the last couple years have made a habit of signing and pushing guys who made their names on the indy circuit and are hugely over and respected in that arena. And they appear to be turning up the meter on that approach several more notches in the wake of the brand split. They have had high profile scouts at every PWG and EVOLVE(the top two workrate indies in the US) show for months now, and have adopted EVOLVE as a quasi little brother promotion. The company is going to bring in Roderick Strong once his indy bookings are filled, and are rumored to be paying for his upcoming EVOLVE appearances; they are bringing in Ricochet who has not signed on for the third LU season and will be available no later than six months after the final season two episode airs; they are extending a fulltime deal to Johnny Gargano who will have his EVOLVE/indy farewell at EVOLVE's 9/11 date. And they have raided the top levels of buzzy names from the UK circuit(like Tommy End and Big Damo) for the fall class of NXT signings, as well as grabbed other top UK and American indy buzz guys(like ZSJ, Noam Dar, TJP, Cedric Alexander, Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, etc.) for the Cruiserweight Classic. The WWE is definitely highly interested in bringing on every top flight indy guy with a high workrate reputation who is not signed to ROH, TNA, or New Japan in some capacity. So going to places like EVOLVE and PWG and working against many of the same names and guys of the same level as the ones I have mentioned is definitely something that would help Cody's stock in the eyes of WWE higher up talent evaluators as well as help cement him with a certain sect of the fanbase who the WWE seems to be catering to more than they ever have in the past.

Now again, none of that is proof that the theory is correct about Cody's "release", but downplaying the significance of garnering indy buzz right now is a pretty stupid and blinded viewpoint considering the facts of the current landscape.

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

No.

 

[therockiswwf]

You mentioned he could comeback with a hot rep as a workrate guy among hardcore fans. That means nothing to the giant WWE audience.

I'm betting Cody won't ever be off their radar due to his name and I'm guessing they already know he is good in the ring. Cody Rhodes being boring is his problem (loved him during his Mask days but otherwise he wasn't that interesting). He needs to fix the boring part not his in ring ability.

 

[BaconBits]

No, just no. Cody Rhodes is not, has never been, and never will be important enough to professional wrestling for the WWE to do something as elaborate as this for him. They're not going to dedicate the time or money this would cost to a guy that's absolute ceiling is the midcard.

 

[ShinChan]

While I agree with the sentiment that a lot of this story smells of conspiracy and a little bullshit for a multitude of reasons(not the least of which being the one that Navi just pointed out), those of you who are downplaying the importance of indy buzz and hot workrate guys to the WWE and its fanbase right now are acting very ignorant to current landscape of the company and pro wrestling in general.

The WWE over the last couple years have made a habit of signing and pushing guys who made their names on the indy circuit and are hugely over and respected in that arena. And they appear to be turning up the meter on that approach several more notches in the wake of the brand split. They have had high profile scouts at every PWG and EVOLVE(the top two workrate indies in the US) show for months now, and have adopted EVOLVE as a quasi little brother promotion. The company is going to bring in Roderick Strong once his indy bookings are filled, and are rumored to be paying for his upcoming EVOLVE appearances; they are bringing in Ricochet who has not signed on for the third LU season and will be available no later than six months after the final season two episode airs; they are extending a fulltime deal to Johnny Gargano who will have his EVOLVE/indy farewell at EVOLVE's 9/11 date. And they have raided the top levels of buzzy names from the UK circuit(like Tommy End and Big Damo) for the fall class of NXT signings, as well as grabbed other top UK and American indy buzz guys(like ZSJ, Noam Dar, TJP, Cedric Alexander, Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, etc.) for the Cruiserweight Classic. The WWE is definitely highly interested in bringing on every top flight indy guy with a high workrate reputation who is not signed to ROH, TNA, or New Japan in some capacity. So going to places like EVOLVE and PWG and working against many of the same names and guys of the same level as the ones I have mentioned is definitely something that would help Cody's stock in the eyes of WWE higher up talent evaluators as well as help cement him with a certain sect of the fanbase who the WWE seems to be catering to more than they ever have in the past.

Now again, none of that is proof that the theory is correct about Cody's "release", but downplaying the significance of garnering indy buzz right now is a pretty stupid and blinded viewpoint considering the facts of the current landscape.

He has surely signed for the third season of Lucha Underground.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I think what is more likely but still not likely at all is that WWE is financing Cody to take time off to get on a few quality PED cycles outside of the WWE Wellness Program.

Then he can come back and be more over with the WWE audience.

 

[M]

Isn't this exactly what house shows and NXT are for? If they wanted a shift from Stardust back to Cody then surely a couple of months building Internet buzz on the house show circuit, followed by a run in front of the Internet fans in NXT before being exposed on the main stage would work? It's not like they went and released Husky Harris so he could work the indies as Bray Wyatt.

This article looks like it was written to pretend to be right if you get what I mean. If Cody comes back as anything other than Stardust, this guy can claim he's right and since Stardust didn't work out it's probably not going to be the return gimmick. That's how a lot of these rumour mill guys get their rep since if you get point A (Cody leaving) and point C (Cody coming back) right you can whack any sort of point B in there and as long as there's some form of chance it could be true you'll come off like a genius.

 

[ABMorales787]

Everything is a work.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

That would be cool if Cody Rhodes wasn't Cody Rhodes.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Nope. This WAY too much just to get rid of the Stardust character. How many WWE fans even remember Stardust? Just bring him back as Cody Rhodes. That is ALL you got to do. How many times has WWE started a gimmick and abruptly dropped it? Countless times and no one cared. Just let him wrestle in NXT or on house shows or under a different gimmick. That's all they need to do, not go through all of this.

 

[nightmare]

It isnt the plan, but it wont stop them taking credit for it when he eventually returns.

 

[Good Golly It's Ollie]

Well Tajiri is properly re-signed now; I don't think the Rhodes thing is a work, but I expect he still falls under their "open door/see you in a couple of years" kind of deal.

 

[Dirk]

When was the last time that an elaborate work rumour turned out to be true? Punk leaving with the title?

 

[A11oftheLights]

How many WWE fans even remember Stardust?

lol wtf? I'm pretty sure everyone remembers stardust, its not like the gimmick is 5 years old

 

[Navi]

How many WWE fans even remember Stardust?

Dude he only quit the WWE about a month or so ago, and he was Stardust for the last year or more. WWE fans have horrible memories, but even they aren't even that lame to forget so quickly.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

So his own wife asked for her release too in order to keep up the ruse?

I'd say that Cody would not work for TNA because he would have that stink on him from potentially gettingnrehired. I would love this to be a work though. I legitimately believed Punk leaving was a work right up until the night of WM30.

 

[nightmare]

Its all a work. The draft ends with the entire roster unmasking Scooby Doo style & revealing they have all been WCW talent the entire time. Eric really beat Vince, Eddie and Benoit return and Hogan isnt racist after all.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Dude he only quit the WWE about a month or so ago, and he was Stardust for the last year or more. WWE fans have horrible memories, but even they aren't even that lame to forget so quickly.

lol wtf? I'm pretty sure everyone remembers stardust, its not like the gimmick is 5 years old

Well perhaps I should've worded that better. I'm sure everyone remembers Stardust, but how many people have noticed he was gone? Point is, he was little more than a lower mid-carder, so no one would have missed him if he was gone. Basically just bring him back as Cody Rhodes and no one bats an eye.