Cody Rhodes Teases Retirement After Loss to Malakai Black on AEW Dynamite

This week’s AEW Dynamite: Homecoming from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida felt like a rollercoaster ride. From seeing a nostalgic match that was decades in the making to watching Malakai Black decimating Cody Rhodes.

However, it was a post-match incident that raised the eyebrows of the crowd and the wrestling community worldwide. After Rhodes suffered a brutal loss at the hands of Malakai Black, he gave an emotional speech and took off one of his wrestling boots which is a traditional sign of retirement.

Malakai Black made his AEW in-ring debut into a very cool entrance against Cody Rhodes after making Rhodes’ life miserable ever since he debuted on the AEW roster last month.

Black dominated the entire match and gave Cody no time to recollect himself throughout the contest making it impossible for him to get the upper hand.

Halfway through the match, Cody got on the top turnbuckle in the hopes to deliver a high-impact move; however, Back kicks him in the head and Cody goes flying through the timekeeper’s table.

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The capacity crowd at Daily’s Place expected it to be a physical match-up between the two athletes. However, it was anything but competitive. Malakai Black laid waste to Cody Rhodes in a few minutes.

The moment Cody made it back into the ring after Black sent him flying through the table, Black delivered a devastating Black Mass, laying Cody flat on the mattress.

Cody Rhodes “hangs his boots” in the middle of the ring

After being dominated by Black, Tony Schiavone got in the ring to get some comments from Cody. He then grabbed a mic and said that legacy was a funny thing and reflected on the time when he was just a referee.

He also talked about his feelings when he left WWE in search of bigger things and then he met Nick and Matt, and everybody laughed at him when he started AEW.

As he gets more emotional, Cody thanked the fans and says that he respects them a lot and how they have been there for him. Rhodes went on to take his wrestling boots off in the middle of the ring, signifying his retirement.

However, Malaki Black made his way back and attacked Rhodes with a crutch that the doctor had previously brought in to help Cody and then goes backstage.

After Dynamite went off-air Cody then threw his other boot in the audience before finally bowing in the middle of the ring as a ‘Thank You’. He then got back up and made his way out from the ring.

Surely, this gesture has left the wrestling community in shock why Cody signaled his retirement from the sport. Although Cody couldn’t finish his speech, his actions spoke louder than words.

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