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This week's episode of "WWE NXT" turned some heads when a backstage segment included a mini-reunion of former AEW stars, as Cody Rhodes appeared alongside Ethan Page, Shawn Spears, and Lexis King. Looking back on the segment during "Busted Open Radio," former WWE star Tommy Dreamer didn't see much controversy in the moment.
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"Some people ... [are] gonna say they took a shot at AEW," Dreamer said. "I think it was more [like], 'Wow, look where we all have come from and where we all are back.' ... They all have a connection with each other from, of course, AEW. I want to say Cody was a catalyst to bring them to AEW, and he's probably been a catalyst to bring them to NXT."
Rhodes has long-running friendships with Spears and Page, and Pillman previously recounted some impactful advice Rhodes gave him in the lead-up to AEW's creation. While Dreamer thinks it's inevitable that everyone involved knew it would grab some attention, he believes the main reason for the interaction was to serve as a feel-good moment for the performers. His co-host, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray, disagreed slightly.
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"When you say, 'It seems like you're all ... in a good place,' how else are you supposed to take it other than a subtle shot? Let's not bulls**t each other," Bully said. "It's not a malicious, bad intent, subtle shot. It's just one of those things to get people talking, to stir the people up."
Over the course of a couple years, all four of the men made their way from AEW to WWE along different paths. Rhodes famously left AEW in early 2022 before debuting at WWE WrestleMania 38, while both Spears and Pillman showed up in NXT earlier this year. Page is the latest to make the move, with his "NXT" debut taking place late last month.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
