Tony Khan Accused of Neglecting AEW After Cody Rhodes' Departure

While speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestlebinge, Jake Hager shared his thoughts about working in AEW and how things changed behind the scenes. He said there were people around Tony Khan who helped with the storylines, but no one had the power to say no to him or challenge his ideas.

Hager believes things got worse after Cody Rhodes left because Cody Rhodes used to be heavily involved in the creative process. Without him, everything felt like a free-for-all.

Hager mentioned that even Chris Jericho had trouble getting in touch with Tony, saying Tony didnt respond to messages for weeks. This made it seem like AEW just wasnt a big priority for Tony anymore and it was neglected.

Production meetings stopped happening, and the team didnt get important show information until late in the day, sometimes as late as 5 PM on the day of the show. Hager pointed out that this is not normal for a live TV show and only works because AEW has money behind it.

Trying to share new ideas with Tony Khan was also difficult. Wrestlers had to wait until 1 or 2 AM after the show, just to get a moment with him. Even then, Khan wouldnt always give them his full attention.

If he did respond, the answers felt half-hearted. For example, when Hager suggested an idea, Tony replied with something vague like saying he didnt see Hager in a tag team with Sammy Guevara, and that was the end of it.

Jake Hagers comments suggest that when Cody Rhodes left AEW, it created a big gap in leadership and planning. Cody Rhodes had helped organize creative ideas, and without him, things became less controlled. Regardless, AEW is still carrying on without Rhodes for better or for worse.

Do you think AEW has suffered creatively since Cody Rhodes left, or has the company continued to grow despite these issues? Sound off in the comments.

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