Report: How Much Cody Rhodes Asked For During AEW Contract Talks Revealed

Over a month after his contract expired, Cody Rhodes is no longer All Elite and the three-time TNT Champion and wife Brandi Rhodes announced their departures from AEW on Tuesday, February 15.

Rhodes and AEW President Tony Khan had been locked in negotiations over a new deal for several weeks but by Friday, February 11, it was believed Cody would be leaving the promotion.

Cody departed AEW seemingly for several reasons, including money as Rhodes wanted more than Tony Khan was willing to pay him, and Cody's previous loss of booking power. Past issues with the AEW President may have also been a factor.

It was previously noted that Rhodes wanted to be paid like a top guy in a new AEW contract and PWTorch's Wade Keller reported this would have meant Cody re-signing on an estimated $3 million+ per year deal. However, as mentioned, AEW's signing of other big stars like CM Punk and Bryan Danielson and the booing of Cody made The American Nightmare "expendable."

"People who have talked to key people say that Cody was asking for millions per year. The estimate is kind of in the $3 million+ per year range and it was based on a perception, as I talked about yesterday, of Cody wanting to be the top paid guy...Problem is he's negotiating at a point when he has less leverage because Brandi's getting booed out of the ring, he's getting booed out of the ring. He's lost that connection with fans. Meanwhile, AEW have signed these other big stars and they make Cody literally expendable. AEW is not going to skip a beat without Cody Rhodes. So Tony Khan had to make that call," Keller said.

While he may have departed AEW, Cody will remain active in professional wrestling and he is reportedly set to sign with WWE, six years after he originally left Vince McMahon's company.