Cody Rhodes reflects on his decision to return to WWE.
On April 2, 2022, Cody Rhodes made his stunning return to WWE by answering Seth Rollins’ open challenge at WrestleMania 38. ‘The American Nightmare’ had been key in the formation of AEW, even holding an Executive Vice President position until the point of his departure, and his jump back to WWE sent shockwaves through the wrestling world. Now, he’s recalled the decision to leave AEW almost four years ago.
Speaking with The Undertaker on Six Feet Under, Rhodes called his return to WWE a big gamble, opening up on leaving ‘a good gig’ with AEW.
“I had to really weigh it out. Is this a mistake? They didn’t see it the first time. They saw a little of it, but they didn’t see it. Is this the biggest mistake ever? You think the first time leaving is the biggest mistake ever. Coming back, my fear was like, this could be the biggest gamble of all. I had a good gig. Contrary to what you hear, and you guys know how the internet likes to internet, but I had a good gig. I had an executive job. I loved the Bullet Club guys, but evolving and moving myself forward, it was just a lot to weigh out. Had I gone out there and belly flopped in the pool, it wouldn’t have hurt WWE at all. It would have been, ‘See? He was little league all along.’”
-Cody Rhodes
Less than a year into his return, Rhodes won the Royal Rumble and headlined WrestleMania 39. After his initial challenge was unsuccessful, the 40-year-old became the fourth man to win consecutive Royal Rumbles, going on to finally defeat Roman Reigns in 2024. The star is now a two-time former Undisputed WWE Champion and undoubtedly one of the company’s biggest names, undoubtedly making his return a success.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Cody Rhodes as soon as we hear more.
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