Cody vs. Sammy Guevara Revealed as Opening Match for AEW on TNT Debut

All Elite Wrestling announced Tuesday that Cody will face Sammy Guevara in the first match on the debut episode of AEW's weekly television show on TNT.

The bout will set the tone for the show, which will debut Oct. 2 from the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Cody announced Monday he would be part of the first AEW on TNT match, but it wasn't until Tuesday that his opponent was revealed:

It is fitting that Cody is in the opening bout since he was one of the main catalysts behind the creation of AEW. Along with The Young Bucks, Cody helped promote and produce last year's All In event, which was essentially the forerunner to AEW.

Cody, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega are all executive vice presidents of AEW, and they will have a significant hand in how the product is booked and presented on TNT every week moving forward.

Meanwhile, Guevara is a somewhat surprising choice since he isn't a well-known name to casual wrestling fans. The 26-year-old Guevara is a skilled high-flyer with experience in companies such as Lucha Underground, Lucha Libre AAA World Wide and Major League Wrestling.

Guevara also had a solid bout with Kip Sabian on the Double or Nothing pre-show and teamed with MJF and Shawn Spears to beat Darby Allin, Jimmy Havoc and Joey Janela at Fight for the Fallen.

The 34-year-old Cody is the son of the late, great Dusty Rhodes and has been a workhorse for AEW since its inception. It can be argued that he has been part of the best match at each of AEW's three events thus far.

At Double or Nothing, Cody beat his brother, Dustin Rhodes, in a match of the year candidate. Then, he fought Darby Allin to a time-limit draw at Fyter Fest and teamed with Dustin in a loss to The Young Bucks in the main event of Fight for the Fallen.

At All Out on Aug. 31, Cody will face Spears in a grudge match. While Cody and Spears are longtime friends, Spears betrayed Cody at Fyter Fest when he hit him in the head with a steel chair.

The result of their match at All Out will go a long way toward deciding who is better positioned for a run toward the main event scene when AEW debuts on TNT in October.

Whether or not that is Cody, he will have the distinction of being in the first AEW on TNT match, which speaks to how important of a piece he will be for the company as an on-screen performer moving forward.

Meanwhile, the fact that Guevara is being placed in the first-ever match of AEW on TNT suggests that there are big plans in place to push him provided he impresses during the showcase.

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