Cody Rhodes firmly believes 31-year-old star could be the next face of AEW

When Cody Rhodes departed AEW in 2022, he left a massive hole in the promotion. The American Nightmare recently claimed that the position he used to fill is open, and he thinks Darby Allin has what it takes to be the face of the company.

Cody Rhodes was the top star in All Elite Wrestling for its first year, but even after settling into the mid-card, he remained the de facto "face" of the company. Despite having stars such as Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley on the roster, Rhodes was most often the one representing the company in promotional crossovers and media appearances.

Since The American Nightmare's departure, several have stepped up to the role, including MJF and Swerve Strickland. However, in a recent interview with Josh Martinez, Rhodes confirmed that Darby Allin has what it takes to be the face of the company, assuming he stops taking so many risks.

"The answer is a guaranteed yes [I believe Darby Allin can be the face of AEW]. But, don’t let Darby fool you. He was never insecure, and he was never not confident. Darby is almost overconfident, and that’s what we do. We talk smack; we wrestle each other. This is entertainment. I don’t mind it, but sometimes your overconfidence is actually arrogance, when in his case, instead of it being arrogance, the experience that he’s had."

Rhodes further addressed Darby's experience working with Sting and his status as an AEW original:

"Now with Sting. The experience he’s had seeing the different changes in the company, all of that. That is the experience that you need to lead you to where you see the clarity, and you see the moment and go, hey, I can be — I hate using this terminology — but I can be the guy. Absolutely, 100 percent could potentially be the person. But, but, and here’s the but: That spot is available to far more people than we think, in every company. Everyone thinks it’s about, oh, it’s the politics, it’s about who you know. There’s a degree of that in everything, sure." [H/T Ringside News]

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Darby Allin compares WWE to Taylor Swift, AEW to Slayer

Controversy swirled around the Unsanctioned Cage Match at AEW All Out 2024, where Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland brutalized each other to close the show.

All Elite Wrestling has never shied away from violent spectacles, and it's one of the things that separates it from the more mainstream WWE. Darby Allin embraces that difference, as he recently explained on Busted Open Radio:

"If people are going to compare the two companies, I like to put it as a music reference. WWE is like Taylor Swift, AEW is like Slayer. Taylor Swift can sell more records, but that doesn't mean Slayer doesn't have a huge following. Our brand of music is a little more intense and violent, we don't have to change anything. We don't have to try to sell the same records as Taylor Swift. We're kind of in our own world."

Darby Allin has enjoyed a significant push since returning from injury earlier this year. He recently lost his World Championship opportunity to Jon Moxley, but if Allin has demonstrated anything, it's that he doesn't know when to quit.