5 non-AEW talents who could face Cody for the TNT Championship

We all heard it just over a week ago now. Days after beating Lance Archer at AEW Double Or Nothing for the first ever TNT Championship, Cody declared himself a fighting champion with a passionate promo on last Wednesday’s Dynamite that echoed the style of his late father, Dusty Rhodes.

Cody laid it on the line. He wanted to defend his championship on a weekly basis to create a legacy, but to also prove to his doubters that he has what it takes to deliver in the ring. With a “watch this” attitude, he threw the gauntlet down for himself to run.

Watch, we will. Obviously, there is AEW talent ready and waiting for their opportunity to face off with one of AEW’s premiere stars. What about talent outside of the AEW circle? They are on the table as well. Last week, Cody confirmed that even talent not signed to AEW would have the opportunity to fight for his prize.

Now we’re talking. That revelation opens up countless possibilities. It’s also a tremendous marketing hook to keep viewers locked into TNT instead of flipping to NXT on the USA Network. It’s a wartime move, but a smart one.

Cody’s Dynamite opponent will be a weekly conversation among wrestling fans. Like John Cena’s United States Championship open challenge from a few years ago was for WWE’s Raw, Cody’s part of Dynamite will be can’t miss due to the fact that the sky’s the limit for who AEW could bring in. Fans won’t want to miss a moment.

Since the sky is the limit, we’ve narrowed it down to the top five potential outside AEW opponents Cody could face for the AEW TNT Championship.