Before Cody Rhodes became the face of WWE, he helped build its biggest rival. His three years in AEW gave “The American Nightmare” the identity he carries today. Cody did more than wrestle for All Elite Wrestling. As a founding Executive Vice President, he helped shape the roster, the championships and the creative voice of the company.
This guide covers what Cody did in AEW, the matches that defined his run, and why that run still matters.
Cody Rhodes’ AEW Career at a Glance
| Date | What happened | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 1, 2018 | Beat Nick Aldis at All In to win the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship | Proved a non-WWE show could sell out a 10,000-seat arena |
| Jan 1, 2019 | AEW announced, with Cody as a founding EVP alongside Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks | Put active wrestlers in charge of building a new company |
| May 25, 2019 | Beat his brother Dustin Rhodes at Double or Nothing | Gave AEW’s first pay-per-view an emotional, bloody classic |
| Nov 9, 2019 | Lost to Chris Jericho at Full Gear | Started his self-imposed ban on AEW World Title matches |
| May 23, 2020 | Beat Lance Archer to become the first TNT Champion | Launched the weekly Open Challenge |
| Oct 7, 2020 | Beat Mr. Brodie Lee in a Dog Collar match on Dynamite | Won the TNT Title a second time and ended Lee’s final match |
| Nov 2020 | Lost the TNT Title to Darby Allin at Full Gear | Ended his second reign after 31 days |
| Dec 25, 2021 | Beat Sammy Guevara on Rampage: Holiday Bash (taped Dec 22) | Became the first three-time TNT Champion |
| Jan 26, 2022 | Lost a ladder match to Sammy Guevara at Beach Break | Final AEW match, and the TNT Title was unified |
| Apr 2, 2022 | Beat Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38 |
How a 10,000-Seat Bet Led to AEW
Cody asked WWE for his release in May 2016. He spent the next two years working for Ring of Honor, New Japan and the independent scene. In May 2017, Dave Meltzer said he doubted ROH could sell out a 10,000-seat arena. Cody and The Young Bucks took that as a challenge and started planning All In.
The tickets sold out in 29 minutes and 36 seconds, before the card was even announced. The show ran on September 1, 2018, at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, outside Chicago. Cody beat Nick Aldis with a roll-up to win the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, the title his father Dusty once held. Aldis took it back 50 days later at the NWA 70th Anniversary Show.
The sellout proved the demand was real. Tony Khan, son of Jaguars owner Shad Khan, backed a full-time promotion, and AEW launched on January 1, 2019. Cody’s EVP role gave him a voice in talent decisions, locker-room culture and production.
📌 Also Read: CM Punk in AEW: Complete Timeline of His Rise, Fallout & Exit
Double or Nothing and Full Gear
Cody’s first year gave AEW its emotional identity.
Brother vs. Brother. At AEW’s first pay-per-view, Cody faced Dustin Rhodes in a deeply personal fight. Fans and critics praised it, and it showed AEW could tell a human story without a corporate script.
Full Gear 2019. In November, Cody challenged Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship in Baltimore. He added a stipulation: if he lost, he could never challenge for the title again. Cody has said that the decision was entirely his own, and Tony Khan didn’t like it. Cody lost when MJF threw in the towel while Jericho had him in the Liontamer. MJF then kicked Cody low and turned on him. Cody honored the stipulation for the rest of his AEW run and put his energy into building the midcard.
The MJF Fallout
The MJF betrayal fueled one of early AEW’s best storylines. MJF set stipulations for a match with Cody, including ten lashes live on Dynamite and a steel cage match against his bodyguard Wardlow. Cody beat Wardlow on the February 19, 2020 Dynamite in Atlanta. MJF then beat Cody at Revolution in Chicago after hitting him with a diamond ring.
The TNT Title and the Open Challenge
AEW created the TNT Championship in 2020, and Cody won the inaugural tournament by beating Lance Archer at Double or Nothing on May 23. Then he did something unusual for a champion. He defended the belt in an Open Challenge nearly every week on Dynamite.
In my view, this was Cody’s best work for AEW’s locker room. Arenas were empty during the pandemic, and Cody turned Wednesday nights into a proving ground. The Open Challenge brought in outside talent, and two independent wrestlers earned contracts from it: Ricky Starks in June 2020 and Eddie Kingston in July 2020.
The Brodie Lee feud. Lee beat Cody for the TNT Title in August 2020 in a match that lasted about three minutes. Cody got his revenge on October 7, 2020, in a bloody Dog Collar match on Dynamite. He won the title back, and it turned out to be Lee’s final match. Cody lost the belt a month later to Darby Allin at Full Gear.
The Nightmare Family and Malakai Black
As AEW’s roster grew, Cody stepped away from The Elite’s storylines and built his own stable, The Nightmare Family. It included Arn Anderson, Dustin Rhodes and students from the Nightmare Factory.
In 2021, Malakai Black arrived and attacked Cody and Arn right away. Black then beat Cody at Dynamite: Homecoming in August, and the feud ran through the fall.
📌 Also Read: Who Are the AEW Death Riders? Members, History & Titles
The Third Reign and the Exit
Cody beat Sammy Guevara on Rampage: Holiday Bash, which aired December 25, 2021, to win the TNT Title a third time. COVID protocols then pulled him from the January 8 Battle of the Belts show, so Guevara won an interim title instead. The two met at Beach Break on January 26, 2022, in Cleveland, in a ladder match to unify the belts. Guevara won, and it was Cody’s last match in AEW.
On February 15, 2022, Cody and Brandi Rhodes announced they were leaving AEW. The two sides had not agreed on a new deal. Cody later told Variety that he would stay quiet about the details and that it was simply time to move on. Weeks later, he returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 and beat Seth Rollins.
Cody’s AEW years showed that a rival company could survive on national television. They also gave him the foundation to become a main-event star in WWE.
Cody Rhodes’ Final AEW Record
- TNT Championship: 3 reigns, including the first (inaugural) reign
- Tournament wins: 2020 TNT Championship Tournament
- AEW World Championship: 0 reigns, 1 title match (Full Gear 2019)
- Final match: TNT Title unification ladder match vs. Sammy Guevara, Dynamite: Beach Break, January 26, 2022
- Executive role: Founding EVP (January 2019 – February 2022)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times did Cody Rhodes hold the AEW TNT Championship?
Three times. He was the inaugural champion and the first wrestler to reach three reigns.
Did Cody Rhodes win the NWA title at All In?
Yes. He beat Nick Aldis on September 1, 2018, but lost the title back to Aldis 50 days later.
Why did Cody Rhodes never challenge for the AEW World Championship again?
He lost to Chris Jericho at Full Gear 2019 after setting a stipulation that he could never challenge for the title again if he lost.
When did Cody Rhodes leave AEW?
He and Brandi announced their departure on February 15, 2022, after the two sides could not agree on a new deal.
What was Cody Rhodes’ last AEW match?
A TNT Championship unification ladder match against Sammy Guevara on the January 26, 2022 Dynamite: Beach Break.
About Gaurav Sharma
I am Gaurav Sharma, founder and the only writer at Wrestling Nightmare. I live in Punjab, India. I have watched professional wrestling since 2000, and for the last 15 years I have followed dirtsheet reporting and the difference between what is shown on screen and what is reported from backstage. I write explainers and labeled opinion on WWE, AEW, and TNA. I credit the outlet that broke a story, and I do not publish unsourced salary figures or private family pieces.
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