AEW’s polarizing TNT Champ Cody Rhodes defends his title at Bojangles’ Coliseum Saturday
Professional wrestling is notorious for so-called babyfaces suddenly turning heel.
That could come with an unprovoked chair shot to a partner’s back, kick to the head or seemingly misplaced power bomb which throws the finish of the match into question and instantly declares the assailant’s villainy.
All Elite Wrestling’s current TNT Champion, Cody Rhodes, defends his title in a rematch with Sammy Guevara at Bojangles’ Coliseum during Saturday’s Battle of the Belts. And Rhodes has kept fans guessing, debating, predicting and proselytizing about his will-he or won’t-he heel turn for months now.
“I did a promo in October and I was really forthcoming with the fans that I wasn’t willing to turn heel. Immediately it was, ‘Oh my God, this is the bait. This is the trap,’ ” Rhodes says of the reaction from fans and critics. “I understand. They’ve been conditioned for the last 20 years (by pro-wrestling). I was just telling them the truth.
“We aren’t going to do the knee-jerk (reactions) or lean into fantasy booking. It’s really undiscovered country,” he says of remaining in the gray area of an industry whose heroes and villains have usually only colored in black and white.
A healthy portion of the live audience began booing him last summer as captured on his TNT reality series “Rhodes to the Top.”
“If you’re at Bojangles’ Coliseum Saturday, you’ll feel it. It’s like a battle between the fans,” he says.
Fan furor (and confusion) increased as he teased retirement, cut polarizing promos against heels and babyfaces, and helped to create some of the still young wrestling promotion’s biggest moments putting Andrade El Idolo through a flaming table while burning his own skin (“It’s totally healed,” he says.)
Community work
While his on-screen character’s, um, character may be in question, Rhodes’ work with AEW’s Community Outreach team isn’t.
In July AEW owner Tony Khan donated $100,000 to Charlotte’s Safe Alliance organization, which helps survivors of domestic violence and assault. This time the company is auctioning a piece of commissioned art online with proceeds benefiting Loaves and Fishes.
“Tony has really signed off on a lot of things I want to do with outreach whether that’s a donation, a toy-drive, a meet-and-greet — if you have a modicum of fame, you can do something nice for the markets,” Rhodes says, further blurring the lines.
Wrestling economics 101
Considering WWE’s practice of saving its biggest matches for pay-per-views, AEW’s willingness to give away bloody street fights, grueling hour-long championship bouts and flaming table spots on cable surprises some.
Rhodes credits the changing industry and AEW’s stacked roster, many of whom can carry a main event.
“Tony understands the economics of wrestling. Formerly, the pay-per-view was the big money payout. The television contracts are where the money is in our industry now,” Rhodes says.
“It’s also a healthier choice for wrestlers to maintain the skills and their health,” he says of not relying on a handful of performers each week.
While extra time to recuperate is a plus, Saturday’s title defense is Rhodes’ second since beating Guevara on Christmas night in Greensboro — a shout-out to the matches his father, wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes, booked there during the ‘80s and ‘90s.
“I was really proud of that Christmas Night endeavor,” says Rhodes, who is also an executive vice president for AEW. “I was excited to see that people tuned in and to have such a positive reception. What’s old is new again.”
The same can be said for AEW’s flagship series “AEW Dynamite,” which moved to TBS from TNT Wednesday.
“AEW Rampage” and a series of free televised Saturday night events will continue to air on TNT beginning with Battle of the Belts, which is being compared to the Clash of the Champions events that Charlotte-based Jim Crockett Promotions and later World Championship Wrestling put on decades ago. Rhodes’ other venture “The Go Big Show” premiered its second season on TNT Thursday as well.
“The wheel in the sky has kept turning for me, my brother (Dustin Rhodes), and my dad,” says Rhodes who was born at Charlotte’s Presbyterian Hospital in 1986. The family moved to Georgia when Ted Turner bought out Crockett and launched WCW on TBS.
Wrestling in the old Charlotte Coliseum remains bittersweet for Rhodes, who lost his father in 2015.
“It’s mainly sweet. This was my dad’s stomping grounds and my on-screen manager, Arn Anderson, has deep roots here. There’s a history of big-time box offices and milestone events,” he says. “You become introspective when you approach that building.”
Want to go?
Battle of the Belts
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Bojangles’ Coliseum, 3700 E. Independence Blvd.
TICKETS: $30-$70
DETAILS: www.ticketmaster.com