Eric Bischoff Assesses AEW Star Dustin Rhodes' Prospects In WWE
What's left for Dustin Rhodes to accomplish in wrestling? As the elder Rhodes brother nears the end of his current AEW deal, many are speculating whether the man himself would desire one more run, or retire as one of the more respected performers of his generation. On "83 Weeks," Eric Bischoff said if mutual interest existed for a final swan song, he would love to see it happen in WWE from a creative standpoint.
"There's a tremendous amount of story that could be told in WWE," Bischoff said. "Because what is Dustin gonna do in AEW? He's been there for five years. What more is he going to do with his character? But in WWE, you could write a book, you could write a novel with the stories you could create with Dustin and Cody. Everything from Dustin being there for Cody and supporting Cody ... Or you could go the other way. It could be jealousy and envy. All those things that make great movies and great stories."
After years of hinting that retirement was around the corner, Rhodes, 55, stated in February that he believed he could wrestle "two to four more years." Whether or not WWE would grant him that opportunity is another matter. But Bischoff also believed Rhodes' creative instincts would make him a valuable coach or mentor in "WWE NXT." "Just look at what he's gone through, creatively, as a character," Bischoff said. "Dustin thinks differently than most people do. And he could be such added value. I hope he ends up in WWE [or] 'NXT.'" Bischoff also suggested that Tony Khan hated losing wrestlers with name value, which could be an opportunity for "The Natural" to score one last payday with AEW. Despite free agency looming, Rhodes is currently a double champion in AEW's sister promotion, ROH.