AEW News: Cody Rhodes says he's more interested in 'Tier 1' talent than ex-WWE Superstars

What's the story?

According to 411 Mania, in an interview with Jim Ross on The Jim Ross Report, Cody Rhodes stated that he's more interested in signing new, up-and-coming wrestlers, what he dubs 'Tier 1' talent. He also said that ex-WWE talent makes up only 5% of the AEW Roster.

In case you didn't know...

Since they were officially announced on Jan 01, 2019, AEW has been slowly making the news with various signings such as Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Lucha Brothers, Britt Baker, Allie, Kylie Rae, Joey Janela, Penelope Ford, and others.

There have also been rumors that AEW is interested in signing Dean Ambrose, whose contract expires on April 30th, 2019. It's unclear whether this is true but Ambrose would certainly be a welcome addition to the AEW Roster.

The heart of the matter

Cody Rhodes was a guest on The Jim Ross Report to discuss AEW and other upcoming events. Here's what Cody had to say about the AEW Roster and what he's looking for.

I’ve honestly kind of jokingly said it’s currently about 5%, and I’m talking Chris Jericho, Jim Ross, Cody Rhodes. A few others, maybe. It’s not the same; having that equity with WWE is wonderful. But like we were talking, you’ve gotta be able to cut it and meet the standards that people have for their actual bell-to-bell contests.

He also said that the number may increase over time depending on what the talent has to offer in AEW. He also elaborated on the term, 'Tier 1 talent.'

The recruitment was more about — I use the term ‘Tier 1,’ and I expect everyone to know what I’m talking about. But really, it was more about freshmen if that makes any sense. I want to build a new class of guys. I’ve been there before when I felt like, ‘Nobody’s got my back, nobody’s my ally.’

Take Darby Allin for example, who we just announced. I don’t want them to feel like they were set up and that was it. I want them to feel like they were set up to win, to succeed, and then they went out there and hit it out of the park. WWE at the moment, I’d say 5% of the current makeup, and that may increase but right now it’s a lot of faces you’ve never seen and a lot of faces you’ll be surprised when you do see

What's next?

The AEW Double or Nothing PPV will be held on May 25, 2019.