Cody Rhodes is the first TNT Champion

Cody Rhodes dropped the major news on this week’s AEW Dynamite that, starting this coming Wednesday, he’ll be defending the AEW TNT Championship every week in an open challenge format.

He already knows his first opponent will be Jungle Boy after the young star won a battle royale, but his list of future challengers is wide open after that.

Matt Cardona (formerly Zack Ryder) seemed to hint at making the jump to AEW to try and win the title. Cody became the first person to hold the belt when he defeated Lance Archer at Double or Nothing on May 23.

Although AEW doesn’t have a formal partnership with any other promotions, Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho have continued working limited dates with New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

WWE released a number of in-ring performers in April as a cost-cutting manoeuvre amid the coronavirus pandemic, with many fans wondering if any will wind up in AEW. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, who wrestled in WWE as The Revival, made their debuts this past Wednesday.

“If you are someone who is critical of me bell-to-bell, well I ask that you judge me by what I’m about to do next,” Rhodes said during a promo on Dynamite.

“Because I’m about to turn a pace. I’m about to cut a schedule like no wrestler before. It is official, in this moment I will stand out here every week for the AEW TNT Championship, this is an open challenge.”

Rhodes confirmed that possibility during a Twitter Q&A on Sunday morning.

Loads of possibilities

This blows the field wide open, allowing independent wrestlers (and potentially others) to stop by for one-off matches with the TNT Champion.

AEW’s plans may be hindered by their lack of functioning working relationships with other organisations, however.

While link-ups with groups like ROH and NJPW have been speculated at various points, nothing has been formalised, which may prevent some of the bigger names AEW could conceivably call upon from showing up.

Regardless, it’s an interesting move and one that should theoretically give the TNT Champion a near-endless pool of contenders.

More AEW news

• Heath Slater originally thought Cody Rhodes not wanting to sign him was a joke

• (Photos) Hikaru Shida shows off brutal injury marks from her win over Nyla Rose

• Brodie Lee highlights what gimmicks he pitched to Vince McMahon before leaving WWE

Follow our dedicated AEW page for instant AEW news and updates