It’s not hard to find hateful comments about AEW on social media. This has mostly to do with AEW’s potential to challenge WWE being perceived as a threat by the promotion’s dedicated fanbase. However, recent developments show that big names in the wrestling industry are also wary of joining Khan’s promotion.

Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer recently shared facts about why popular superstars, including Cody Rhodes and Edge have given AEW the cold shoulder.

Dave Meltzer gave an unpopular theory on why WWE stars snub AEW

A consistent theme is that even though AEW has money, they aren’t ready to use it to gatekeep talent. Rather, they let the stars eye other options. Despite Tony Khan garnering criticism for stockpiling talents, AEW is not out there doing what WCW did back in the day – offering more money to lock down talents. According to Meltzer, this is the main reason Khan had to face many rejections from superstars. On the flip side, WWE brings more recognition and bigger paychecks to the table.

Cody Rhodes returned to his old wrestling home during WrestleMania 38 leaving AEW fans shocked last year. Another celebrated franchise player, Edge, also revealed that he declined an offer from the rival promotion before making a shocking comeback to WWE at Royal Rumble 2020.

A fan touched on all these developments in a Twitter post. He pointed out the genuine possibility of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins going to AEW someday. The post caught Meltzer’s attention, and he retweeted with the caption, ”WWE offered more money to all of them. If the other side had unlimited money and could give them ten times what they make now, almost every single one of them is gone when their contracts are up. That’s kind of how the world works. So no. they don’t have unlimited money. That’s common sense.”

While fans may have many theories on why stars are hesitant to join AEW, Meltzer’s point stands out as the most plausible one. In the case of Cody Rhodes, however, there seems to be more to the story.

Read more: Harsh Criticism About Father Dusty Rhodes Took an Emotional Toll on Cody Rhodes and His Family: “As a Kid, I Saw a Lot of Things Written About My Dad..”

Cody Rhodes’s AEW departure is not just about money

Cody Rhodes’ reason to snub AEW wasn’t all about money. The American Nightmare’s big career move initially drummed up a lot of discussion in the wrestling world. Later, the former AEW executive vice president himself revealed the main reason for parting ways with AEW.

Apparently, the 38-year-old wasn’t satisfied with the progress he was making. He felt like other talents overshadowed him. At the end of the day, he was a coach only.

Fulfilling his late father’s unaccomplished dream in WWE was also another big reason for him to dive into the WWE world again.

What’s your take on the popular wrestling journalist’s theory about why wrestlers choose WWE over AEW? Do you agree with him? Let us know in the comments.

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