During his tenure with AEW, Cody Rhodes made significant efforts to elevate the promotion he helped establish. He took remarkable risks like crashing through a flaming table, performing a moonsault off a steel cage, and notably, during AEW’s second show, receiving a surprise chair shot to the head from WWE star Shawn Spears. This moment stirred controversy due to the well-known dangers of concussions and CTE in wrestling, compounded by the fact that Rhodes suffered a large cut on the back of his head, leaving a permanent scar. Rhodes recently discussed the incident on the podcast "What Do You Wanna Talk About?" explaining how the risky spot came about. He likened it to how Chris Evans uses his shield to hit people as Captain America, emphasizing that wrestling is entertainment too. He tried to ensure the move was safe by sanding the chair down to reduce its impact. However, the metal bar on the chair’s edge caused the injury, despite attempts to minimize harm.
Following this, AEW refrained from using chair shots to the head on unsuspecting opponents until years later, with instances like Jack Perry’s 2024 Blood and Guts match and Hangman Page’s win in the Lights Out Uncensored Steel Cage match at All Out 2024, both involving chair shots to the head.
In the aftermath of the chair shot, Brandi Rhodes, Cody’s wife and an on-screen personality, portrayed fierce anger towards Shawn Spears. When she saw the blood pooling on Cody’s head, it was clear she was genuinely upset, not just acting for storyline purposes. Cody recalled her outrage, noting that his wife was furious at both Spears and himself for taking such a risk. He realized that the issue wasn’t just about the chair or the move’s safety but the broader implications for concussion awareness and the optics of headshots in wrestling.
Cody grew up appreciating a rougher, more physical style, inspired by his father “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes’ legendary career. However, chair shots have become a major point of concern among fans, often overshadowing the wrestlers’ overall efforts in a match. He praised WWE for setting high safety standards, helping prevent risky spots like head chair shots. Cody concluded that he would much rather endure extreme physical punishment—like walking across tables, taking Singapore cane strikes, or rolling in thumbtacks—than receive a chair shot to the head.
Fan Take: This story highlights the ongoing tension between wrestling’s dramatic spectacle and the necessity of protecting performers’ health, a balance AEW continues to navigate. For AEW fans, it underscores the promotion’s evolution in safety standards while honoring the sport’s intense and daring spirit.
