Dustin Rhodes Has Blunt Advice For AEW Talent Thinking Of Leaving

Since the launch of AEW in 2019, the company has seen many stars leave WWE, whether that be following their release or their contract running out, and join the Tony Khan-led promotion. Some of those major stars include the likes of Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Malakai Black, Toni Storm, PAC, Athena, and Andrade, to name a few. CM Punk, who was with WWE from 2005 until early 2014, is the current AEW World Champion, however, he has not been able to defend the title due to injury.

Cody Rhodes became the first major name in professional wrestling to make the jump from AEW — a company he helped create as an original EVP alongside Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks — to WWE, a company from which he was released in 2016. Since Rhodes made the jump to WWE, he has remained undefeated on TV and PLEs. Rhodes may have been inserted into the world title picture sooner rather than later, however, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle, which will keep him out for a number of months. Rhodes making the jump over to WWE and AEW not re-signing talents such as Stu Grayson, Alan Angels, Joey Janela, and others may lead a wrestler to want to try their luck elsewhere. 

Cody's older brother, AEW star and wrestling legend Dustin Rhodes, offered his thoughts to any other performers considering leaving the fledgling promotion.

"Hey man, go for it," AEW star Dustin Rhodes said at Terrifican 2022. "I think experience it if you want to. I think if you don't like the current atmosphere that's a personal issue, you need to move on, right? Maybe they'll do something different with you over [in WWE] ... I think it's going to be a change slowly with Triple H at the helm, but it's going to be a good change ... If your contract is up and you've had enough with AEW, go. Get the f*** out."

Dustin was with WWE for a number of years, finding success in the singles division, winning the Intercontinental Championship three times, and in the tag division, winning the WWE Tag Team Championships on four different occasions, with his memorable and iconic character Goldust. However, Dustin has not wrestled for WWE since 2018, officially signing with AEW in 2019. The Natural has been with AEW since it's first PPV in 2019, Double or Nothing, where he put on a brutal and iconic match against his brother, Cody, losing after shedding plenty of blood. Dustin has put over talent in AEW in the time since, while getting great reactions from AEW fans.