Opinion
AEW Fans vs. Cody Rhodes– The Most Compelling Feud of 2021
Of all the feuds in AEW this year, the most compelling, per Tommy Starr, is the feud between Cody Rhodes, and the fans themselves.
Of all the feuds in AEW this year, the most compelling, per Tommy Starr, is the feud between Cody Rhodes, and the fans themselves.
The dualistic nature of kayfabe vs. reality in professional wrestling can be incredible at times. We ostensibly understand that this is a form of scripted entertainment, yet we engulf ourselves with the longstanding, preconceived notions that professional wrestling is authentic and real to the extent that we understand wrestling to be real. The “blurring of the lines” is what makes this an art form like no other. However, the professional wrestling business often finds itself wrestling with its fixed adversary, the fans. To put this contextually, how often have we historically seen the fans desire and crave a particular storyline, match, finish (fall), or character to be featured, while the company insists on a particular storyline, match, finish, or character that fans have no desire to see?
Historically, the idea behind this methodology of booking in the business would be generated to garner “heat” on the heel in the storyline so that fans would pay money to see a proper finish in the end, specifically with the babyface winning. The problem is that, because fans have become too “smart” to the business, we instinctively act on impulses through our natural tendency toward immediate gratification to see our desired outcome– booking and story progression be damned. We, the fans, live in the artificial dualistic reality of wrestling. However, we are not exclusive to this bizarre nature.
Cody Rhodes is subject to the same intuitionism. Today, AEW finds itself in its current and most compelling dispute (feud) with the fans and Cody. The story is incredibly riveting. From the fans’ genuine perspective (pragmatic or not), Cody is a self-serving, egotistical antagonist that sees himself as a greater and more prominent deal than his character reflects on television. They may even resent him for strategically using AEW as a platform to further launch his personal career, while partially detaching himself from the same creation that helped to re-spark those fans’ love for the same business Cody claims to share with them. All the while, Cody does not recognize this reality as a truthful representation of his own reality.
Cody views himself as the genuine, lionheart protagonist– a savior to the business and to the disgruntled, discouraged wrestling fans that share his same values and passions for professional wrestling. Cody maintains a common bond with the AEW fans, one that has worked in unison to successfully grow AEW’s product in a mere two-year timespan. So how could it be that this shared bond would feasibly break? How could Cody coherently rationalize his artificial reality with the fans’ more praxeological reality?
The truth is that praxeology is far easier to see and digest than an augmented, distorted reality. Any pragmatist would easily determine that, based on the current reflection of AEW television, Cody’s character vision is far more difficult to rationally prove. Therefore, the solution must be simple:
In order for Cody to reflect a more empirical version of himself on television, he must embrace his villainous nature. He must sacrifice his sovereign, preconceived perceptions of his self-image to better reflect the truth that exists on scripted television. However, this ideal purely exists with the understanding that Cody recognizes this truth. Thus, we see results like what transpired on this past episode of AEW Dynamite with Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes. Therefore, what is the ideal solution? Perhaps, the most probable answer is to respond with sheer indifference. How can one’s ego generate further validation by means of apathy and passive taming? If the fans wants to “win” the fight over Cody’s distorted reality, booing merely feeds the beast. Whereas, indifference and unresponsiveness can magnify one’s humility.
But all in all, who are we to judgmentally dictate a man’s true self-perception? Humans are inherently flawed, correct? After all, who knows Cody Rhodes better than Cody Rhodes?
Sources:
Praxeology.net . (n.d.). What the Hell is Praxeology? What the hell is praxeology? Retrieved October 26, 2021, from https://www.praxeology.net/praxeo.htm.
Sharma, I. (2021, October 3). 7 unpopular opinions about Cody Rhodes (according to reddit). TheSportster. Retrieved October 26, 2021, from https://www.thesportster.com/cody-rhodes-reddit-unpopular-opinions-wrestling-fans/.
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
-
Podcasts7 days agoGreg DeMarco Show: WrestleMania 42 – Know What You’re Watching
-
AEW Results6 days agoMitchell’s AEW Dynamite Results & Report! (4/22/26)
-
Results4 days agoMitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (4/24/26)
-
Results5 days agoAndrew’s TNA iMPACT! Results & Match Ratings: 4.23.2026


