Cody Rhodes Reportedly a Free Agent; Unknown When He'll Sign New AEW Contract

When Cody Rhodes returns to AEW Dynamite this Wednesday, he'll be doing so as a free agent.

Fightful Select reported Rhodes' contract expired at the end of the 2021 calendar year, and he's yet to come to terms on a new agreement. It's overwhelmingly expected Rhodes, who is also an executive vice president with AEW, will re-sign to a new contract.

Rhodes has been with AEW since its outset and is the current TNT champion in his third reign. He's been advertised for this week's Dynamite after a short absence due to health and safety concerns related to COVID-19.

Sammy Guevara, who was initially expected to face Rhodes at Battle of the Belts, has been interim champion since defeating Dustin Rhodes at the event. He defeated Daniel Garcia in his first defense of the interim title last week on Dynamite.

While Rhodes is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable faces in AEW, he's also arguably the most controversial. Fans have soured on Rhodes' attempt to play a lovable babyface and have been increasingly booing him for several months, leading to him playing a tweener role without an actual "turn."

There's little to no question Rhodes will remain in AEW for the foreseeable future. He has a significant relationship behind the scenes with the WarnerMedia empire, starring in his own reality show (Rhodes to the Top) and The Go Big Show on TBS. His presence on those programs helps bring together Dynamite and the other programming on TBS and TNT.

It's likely just a matter of figuring out terms of a new deal at this point. 

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