Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Brandi Rhodes wants to eliminate the ideal that women in wrestling are Eve to the men’s Adam. The Chief Branding Officer of AEW spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated about the breaking news that the company announced the further growth of the female-fan focused group called AEW Heels. Brandi discussed her excitement for the group and talked about how there needs to be a larger swath cut for women, not just as fans, but for the female base in the industry.
“I still don’t feel comfortable in wrestling, and I’m the Chief Brand Officer of a major organization,” she told SI. “Wrestling has a really long way to go with women.”
Rhodes stated that AEW Heels became an entity after she took notice of women getting unnecessarily criticized online simply just for having an opinion about the squared circle.
“Don’t let someone take your opinion away from you. Don’t let that ever shut you down, talk about what you love. This platform is a place where women can be themselves as wrestling fans, create friendships, and learn. We can create a movement.”
Brandi states that she too has been the target of much criticism considering the fact that she’s married to AEW Executive Vice President, Cody Rhodes.
“I’m reminded of that every time I’m told I only have my position because I slept my way into it,”she said. “In wrestling, the man is Adam and the woman is Eve. Adam belongs and Eve does not. That’s a perception that needs to change.”
“There is a lot more to my story than you see on the surface. People don’t see the challenges I face on a regular basis, or the ones that every woman is facing. Now, as part of this community, we can be part of that together. We’re going to be real, and I think that’s what people want these days.”
Brandi says she has taken note of the desire for a stronger focus on AEW women’s division and thought the Deadly Draw tournament is a solid platform in further developing identities and the division as a whole.
“I see people saying they want more for the women in AEW, and that’s where my idea for the Tag Team Cup Tournament came from,” said Rhodes. “I don’t book the women’s division, but I help out wherever I can, and I’m really excited for this tournament.”
“Very quickly, it’s become a labor of love, with graphics, travel, filming pre-tapes, every detail. People are working really hard to create new content. And it’s not tacked onto Dark or Dynamite, this is the start of something great for the women’s division.”
