AEW: Cody keeping the TNT Championship was the right decision
Cody returned to TV and won his TNT Championship back. He retained over Orange Cassidy on this week’s AEW Dynamite.
Earlier this month, Cody made his surprising return to TV in a dog collar match against Mr. Brodie Lee. After a brutal affair, Cody won his AEW TNT Championship back. This came as a shock to most fans as Lee had only held the title for a mere five weeks.
The irritation over Cody winning the title back is completely understandable. However, AEW doesn’t do things just for the hell of it. They usually have a good reason for their creative decision. It’s easy to say, “He’s an EVP, so of course he has a title.” For the love of wrestling goddesses, please stop comparing Cody to HHH. They’re not even remotely the same.
Since regaining the TNT Championship, Cody has defended his title twice against Orange Cassidy. The first match went to a time limit draw. They went a full twenty minutes and Cody made Cassidy look like the star fans know he can be.
On this week’s Dynamite, the pair faced off again in TNT’s first Lumber Jack match. This match once against protects Cassidy. It continues to show what he can do beyond the comedy stuff. After being suplexed into a sea of lumber jacks, Cassidy mounted offense with the Stundog Millionaire and diving DDT off the top rope. The Dark Order got involved with John Silver pump kicking Cassidy. Arn Anderson secured the win for Cody by punching Cassidy.
Darby Allin would make sense as AEW’s next TNT Champion
This chaotic ending served a couple of purposes: Dark Order got some revenge for Cody beating “The Exalted One” and it still protected Cassidy to an extent because Cody only beat him with help.
Allin was seen looking on as Cody celebrated. Cody versus Darby Allin is what we were always getting at Full Gear. While some can see the matches with Cassidy as filler for the “real” match, they actually served a purpose. Cassidy looks even more like championship material. He will want a certain amount of revenge against Cody and Silver.
I argued that Allin should have been the inaugural TNT Champion. He is one of AEW and wrestling’s brightest upcoming stars. The TNT Championship is meant to highlight wrestlers who are just under the Heavyweight Championship tier. Putting the title on someone like Allin gives focus to upcoming stars and ones that will likely be future faces of the company.
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There’s a very good chance that Allin defeats Cody at Full Gear. Although Allin could’ve faced Lee for the championship, he has a better chance at beating Cody.
Cody knows what he’s doing. He’s good at putting people over, especially rising stars. Even in defeat, they look like legitimate threats. So, dry your tears and let the story unfold.