AEW: Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes is a feud that changes everything

Last Saturday, All Elite Wrestling, AEW, revealed Cody’s opponent for Double or Nothing will be none other than his brother, WWE legend—Dustin Rhodes.

Dustin Rhodes, better known as Goldust, was recently granted his release from WWE, where he made a name for himself over during his illustrious 30-year career. On last week’s episode of Road to Double or Nothing, Rhodes ditched the gold face paint and androgynous mystique. He shot from the hip so to speak in a compelling promo, which took aim at his relationship with his younger brother and their father’s legacy.

Dustin Rhodes is a game changer for AEW. Not just because he’s such a high-profile name, but also because this promo planted the seeds for the most engaging feud the new promotion has presented so far.

His words were biting. He brought up the Stardust character, which allegedly led to Cody’s WWE departure. More importantly, Rhodes proclaimed he has already done it all and his little brother was making a mistake challenging him.

Yesterday, Cody responded in a four-minute promo stripped of the usual high production value; just a black background. The American Nightmare started by expressing his love for his older brother. It was poignant and stirring, but he didn’t mince words on the match between two.

He described himself as “the Prodigal Son” and then put the showdown in context. No, this isn’t just the “The Natural” vs. “The Nightmare”, it’s generation vs. generation. In a shocking twist, Cody focused his ire on the “The Attitude Era,” the height of wrestling’s popularity for some fans and enthusiasts.

“I’m not here to kill Dustin Rhodes. I’m here to kill the Attitude Era,” he said. In those two lines, Cody revealed this feud is bigger than a sibling rivalry or even Dusty Rhodes’ big shoes. It’s about the struggle to create something new and entertaining outside of the ever-present nostalgia of the Monday Night Wars and WWE’s greatest victory.

It’s brilliant. This is a blatant statement to their competition that they plan to create a new lane by doing what they’ve refused to do for some time—leave the past behind. WWE has been revisiting and/or comparing contemporaries to late 90s counterparts for too long.

It’s the crux of the issue with the Stardust gimmick. Cody didn’t want to be a version of the character Dustin made history as. He wanted to be someone new and better. His American Nightmare persona and this challenge represent his need to step out of his father’s—and even his brother’s—shadow.

Cody didn’t challenge him because he hates his brother. Quite the opposite, he admires him. He loves him but he sees that the very era that put him on the map is holding them both back. So, he must prove he, and by extension AEW, is better. Sometimes, succession means one has to kill their hero or even someone they love.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is storytelling. That’s the centerpiece of the first All Elite Wrestling event and they couldn’t have executed the build-up to this match any better. If you weren’t already excited to see what’s next, this should get a lot more eyes on their product.