Is WWE the Right Place for Cody, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks?

The pro wrestling futures of Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega are very much unknown to fans. Though all four hold championship gold in the NWA, New Japan and Ring of Honor respectively, the quartet is rumored to become free agents before the end of 2018. They truly have their pick of companies at this point. For the right money under the right circumstances, one of those companies will hit the lottery. But is that company going to be WWE?

It seems to be the most logical move for Cody and crew. WWE has the most money, the most opportunities and the most reason to bring them onboard. Vince McMahon’s company signs the industry’s best talent and there’s no reason to believe that will change any time soon. But as fans continue to debate the topic and as the talent in question begin to tease their futures online, it’s impossible to know if jumping to WWE is the right move.

Cody and The Young Bucks have indeed been on Twitter, alluding to a departure from New Japan. Even Tama Tonga is playing along and at this point, the move seems inevitable. After all, Cody and The Bucks are basically telling everyone they’re leaving so it must be true. Right? But maybe the fact that they’re being so obvious about it really means they’re not going anywhere. Perhaps they have offers from Ring of Honor and New Japan on the table and maybe, just maybe, WWE is not their ultimate destination.

The Elite doesn’t exist without #BulletClub . Good luck in WWE

— Tama Tonga (@Tama_Tonga) October 15, 2018

Going to WWE is an uncertainty because even though it seems like a logical move, there’s just so much that can go wrong. What if the four men come in together, only for WWE to split them up? Would Omega is on the receiving end of some monster booking, while Cody goes right back to the mid-card? Could The Young Bucks perhaps not climb the ladder like so many fans believe they would? What are the chances that WWE could bring in the four hottest talents in the business today and completely screw them up?

Is that an unfair question? Many fans would say absolutely not. After all, this is the same company that took Bobby Roode, one of the hardest working veterans in the industry and reduced him to a catchphrase. WWE also took Shinsuke Nakamura, one of the most dynamic and captivating talents of all time and transformed him into a comedy act. There are many layers to these examples of course and there’s no way to know if these situations would repeat for Cody, Omega or The Bucks. But maybe that’s the point. There’s just no way to know.

There is hope for anyone doubting WWE’s ability to successfully promote here. While it’s true that the possibility of failure is always there, the fact is that WWE’s track record when it comes to bringing in established talents is better than ever before. 

Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly are the same men today that they were in Ring of Honor. They have the respect of the fans, their peers and the company as well. WWE knew what each man could do and they are being allowed to do it. The same is true of Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black, Ricochet and EC3. 

Listen to Cody Rhodes talk about leaving WWE, NSFW!!:

Cody Rhodes on Why He Quit WWE

But NXT is not the exception to the rule, as many of WWE’s main roster stars are also getting their fair share of opportunities. Chief among them are AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Much like the aforementioned NXT stars, each of these men had careers outside of WWE. Each one could have come in and been eaten alive by the WWE machine but that did not happen. 

Of course some would argue that Styles would have ended up on top because of who he is but that was not guaranteed. Fans remember how rough it was for him in the beginning and it looked as though he would never get his feet under him. But when he did, he ran straight to the forefront of WWE. Then there’s the fact that Joe and Owens both have had struggles when it comes to their booking but that could very well be said of every Superstar on every level of WWE. 

Listen to The Young Bucks talk about joining WWE:

The Young Bucks On If They Will Ever Go To WWE

However, Rollins and Ambrose are different cases. Seth was a former Ring of Honor champion and considered to be one of the best rising talents in the business. Ambrose made his reputation as a fearless hardcore wrestler, a guy that dove headfirst into trouble and never looked back. Along with Roman Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose were put on the fast track to stardom in WWE and they definitely made the most of it. They were set up to succeed and they did just that.

So what makes anyone believe that the same can’t happen for Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega? Would they fight it out with various WWE jobbers in the first or second match on the card, or would they face the bright lights of the main event? For that matter, why would anyone believe that Rhodes, Omega or The Young Bucks would even go to NXT? While the four would surely have no problem working any of the NXT roster, the fact is that Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live should be the primary showcases for their talents. 

But perhaps all of this is too easy. Going to WWE seems like the safe move for them and that’s not something that even sounds like them. Rhodes and The Young Bucks took a major risk with ALL IN. What if it had backfired? What if the entire show had fallen apart halfway through? Would their stock have risen or fallen, afterward?

Watch Kenny, Cody and The Young Bucks have fun with the idea of WWE:

KENNY OMEGA AT WWE ROYAL RUMBLE?| The Expiring Contracts of Bullet Club Elite!

Omega took a risk by moving to Japan because there was no guarantee that things would work out for him. But just like Rhodes and The Bucks, Omega had confidence in his ability to succeed. So who’s to say that they won’t take another risk now and stay out of WWE? 

On one hand, moving to WWE could be one of the most important moments in recent company history. Elevating The Shield was a game changer for WWE and the same could very well be true if Cody, Kenny and The Bucks come in together. Of course on the other hand, New Japan and Ring of Honor would undoubtedly struggle without them.

Outside of WWE, Cody and company are holding all the cards and they have all the freedom in the world to be themselves. There is no guarantee they would get the same consideration in WWE, or anywhere else for that matter. They know that and the fans know it as well. What happens next is anyone’s guess. 

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes,YouTube, iHeart Radio, boinkstudios.com and live every Friday at 12pm EST on Wrestling Rumors Facebook Live