Tony Khan Responds to Cody Rhodes' AEW Disrespect Claims

All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan addressed recent comments from former AEW executive vice president Cody Rhodes, who expressed feeling disrespected during his time with the promotion, in an interview with Q101 in Chicago this week. Khan offered a measured response, emphasizing Rhodes' overall positive remarks about AEW and their amicable interactions since Rhodes' 2022 departure.

Rhodes, now the WWE Champion, discussed his exit from AEW during a July appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast. He described a sense of disrespect toward the end of his tenure, noting that it carried more weight because AEW was a company he co-founded with friends and colleagues. "It's one thing to feel disrespected while in WWE because they are the Yankees," Rhodes said at the time, "but to feel disrespected during his time in AEW, a company he and his friends helped build, he wouldn't stand for it." Despite the tension, Rhodes clarified that bad blood did not erase the underlying love and respect he held for the organization.

Khan, when asked about those statements, acknowledged Rhodes' demanding schedule and frequent media appearances as possible context for the remarks. "You know, he does a...