If Cody Rhodes is transitioning from AEW to WWE, he'd better have his 'poker face' on

Well, well, well... it appears that Cody Rhodes could have exited AEW in order to gamble on another run in WWE. But this time around, he will be the one holding all the cards. He should remember that if he chooses to sit down at the table with Vince McMahon again.

Wrestling's ultimate poker player cashed in his chips and was ALL IN with his running mates as they formed All Elite Wrestling. He acted as a spokesperson for the new venture and was truly one of the mainstream, public figures for the fledgling promotion.

During his time with AEW, Cody Rhodes not only helped put them on the map, his position with the company did the same for him.

They say that at some point, however, you've got to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em. It appears that Cody is tossing in his stack and stepping away from the wild card promotion known as AEW. At least for now.

It's been an amazing run for Cody Rhodes in AEW, not only as a representative of the company, but as an in-ring performer and one of its main stars.

He's a three-time TNT Champion and had classic matches with his brother Dustin, Sammy Guevara, MJF and others. However, he also went from babyface hero to babyface who gets booed a lot. He truly was getting a bad beat in All Elite Wrestling.

So, maybe it's time to try his luck with a new deal. Cody started this whole thing in an online bet with Dave Meltzer that an indy show couldn't draw 10,000 fans. Cody took the bet and helped deliver ALL IN in Chicago, the precursor to AEW.

That event came up all aces, and soon the movement was afoot for an even bigger jackpot: an alternative promotion to WWE.

That's when it became clear that Cody Rhodes would be the face of what would become the all new AEW.

With billionaires Shahid and Tony Khan on board, Cody and his group of superfriends were playing with house money. They've since established a promotion that they can all proudly say is the clear-cut number two wrestling company in the world today. It's not a terrible place to be.

But it's clear that there are still a lot of things Cody Rhodes wants to achieve in his career. Making amends and overcoming his former failures in WWE might be one of them.

Cody never had his chance to be a star with The Worldwide Leader in Sports Entertainment. This might be the only time he gets to take that gamble at success with Vince McMahon's juggernaut.

But this time? Cody has established his own stardom, and he's got a lot of bargaining chips in his pocket. He could return to AEW, go somewhere like New Japan, or roam the circuit as a free agent. The options for him are wide open now; the crown prince of the Rhodes family is holding a royal flush.

If he chooses to return to WWE, let's hope it's on his terms and that he protects himself and his character at all costs. The American Nightmare has built up too much of a stockpile to lose it all now.

WWE is a very different promotion from the one he left over five years ago, and sports a whole new environment now. He will not be welcomed with open arms either, as many WWE Superstars will call his bluff after the negative things he's had to say about their organization in the past several years.

Cody Rhodes will be dealt a brand new hand, and he won't have nearly as much control over the game. Hopefully he's ready to play.

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Do you think Cody Rhodes will end up signing with WWE? If not, where will he wrestle next? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.