Backstage Update On Dustin Rhodes' AEW Contract Status

ROH World Tag Team Champion and Six-Man Tag Team Champion Dustin Rhodes is not only a veteran presence in ROH, guiding Sammy Guevara and The Von Erichs along their journey in wrestling, but also helping with the AEW women's division backstage. According to Fightful Select, Rhodes's contract with AEW and ROH expired in September, and Rhodes and AEW are still in negotiations. Rhodes has not wrestled since September 25, meaning he has likely been out of action as the negotiations are going on. As it stands, Fightful noted that Dustin's 2024 was his busiest in-ring year since 2018.

While Rhodes is a double champion in ROH, his brother is currently in WWE, which would be open to make an offer to the former Intercontinental Champion now that his contract is expired. WWE also announced the WWEID program, which will see the company partner with wrestling schools to essentially make a protected class of independent wrestlers, earmarked for WWE development. Cody's Nightmare Factory school is already part of the partnership, and Dustin conspicuously tweeted about his own Rhodes Wrestling Academy not long after the announcement of the program.

Rhodes has been with AEW since the beginning, initially believing his match at the inaugural Double or Nothing to be his last, but five years later he's a double champion alongside Guevara and Ross and Marshall Von Erich. Along with his school, Rhodes also runs the Rhodes Wrestling Association, an independent promotion that gives Rhodes' students a showcase.