Cody Rhodes Teases Retirement Following Loss To Malakai Black
Malakai Black made his AEW in-ring debut against Cody Rhodes at tonight's Dynamite: Homecoming.
Black picked up the pinfall victory after a fairly quick match. Black took Cody out with his signature roundhouse kick to the face, then simply put a boot to Cody's chest for the pin.
After the match, Tony Schiavone got in the ring to get some comments from Cody. Rhodes then went on to talk about how he made the decision to leave WWE three years ago for bigger things. He said when he met Matt and Nick Jackson, others laughed at the thought of what they were doing with AEW.
Rhodes then strong hinted at retiring in storyline, saying he had received outside opportunities, and maybe there was some EVP infighting. He made clear that he loved the other EVPs and would be forever tethered to them.
Cody went to remove his wrestling boots (a traditional sign of retirement) but Black returned to the ring to hit Cody with a crutch that had been left in the ring by the ringside doctor. The show closed with commentary wondering if Black had actually retired Rhodes from pro wrestling.
Cody is scheduled to film the second season of "Go Big Show" soon. Be sure to check out our live coverage of tonight's show!
Below are highlights from the match:
.@dailysplace becomes #TheHouseOfBlack! #MalakaiBlack (@TommyEnd) makes his #AEW in-ring debut against @CodyRhodes NEXT!
Tune in to @tntdrama NOW to watch #AEWDynamite Homecoming! pic.twitter.com/ayCfQ65zu3
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 5, 2021
A sudden #MalakaiBlack kick sends @Cody FLYING off the top through a table!
Tune in to @tntdrama NOW to watch the MAIN EVENT #AEWDynamite Homecoming! pic.twitter.com/31qx5mjx62
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 5, 2021