WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes had picked major AEW star to be a part of the first All In long before the event, says veteran

Per a veteran, Cody Rhodes had chosen an AEW star long before the inception of All Elite Wrestling as a company.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer recalled his conversation with Cody Rhodes in 2018 before the inaugural All In. The American Nightmare had asked Meltzer to suggest something new for the year, and Meltzer replied asking him to find someone from outside Ring of Honor for a big singles feud. Rhodes inquired if the 63-year-old journalist was talking about Max (MJF).

Dave Meltzer stated that while he did not mean MJF, Cody Rhodes had already chosen Maxwell Jacob Friedman long before the first All In independent show.

"In 2018, I was in a conversation with Cody Rhodes," Meltzer said. "Basically, he's like, this is early 2018, 'What should we do this year? What's some idea to do?' I said, 'Find someone to get into a big singles [with] feud out of Ring of Honor. Figure out somebody new.' So he goes, 'So you mean Max [MJF]?' I was like, 'I didn't mean Max, actually.' But he said that. So the point is that long before All In, Cody Rhodes had already picked Max to be that." (H/T Wrestling Inc)

Maxwell Jacob Friedman opened the All In 2018 pay-per-view and faced Matt Cross in a singles match. MJF signed with AEW in 2019 and was one of the first signees with the newly created company.

After teaming up with Rhodes during the initial part of his AEW run, MJF betrayed him and turned heel. Since then, 'The Salt of the Earth' went on to become one of the biggest names in pro wrestling and is the current World Champion in the Jacksonville-based promotion.

MJF will defend his AEW World Championship at All In 2023

All Elite Wrestling will host one of the biggest ever pro wrestling events, All In, on August 27, 2023, at Wembley Stadium in London, and MJF will perform double duty during the event alongside his on-screen buddy Adam Cole.

The two stars will first team together on the ALL In Zero Hour pre-show and challenge Aussie Open for the ROH World Tag Team titles. Adam Cole and MJF will then face each other in the main event of the record-breaking pay-per-view for the AEW World Championship.

The enemies-turned-friends storyline between the unlikely pair began a few months ago and has become the highlight during the run-up to the AEW's biggest pay-per-view. The chemistry between the two elite performers is stealing the show every week, and their matches at All In will likely do the same.