Cody Rhodes left the WWE initially in 2016 in search of greener pastures. The current superstar then deemed his usage at Vince McMahon‘s company as not meeting his own expectations. This eventually led to the birth of AEW, which Rhodes help set up along with a few other names from pro wrestling. Unfortunately, Cody jumped ship for an unexpected return to WWE in 2022, facing Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38.
A lot has happened since then. Fast-forward to 2023, Cody Rhodes has emerged as Roman Reigns’ main challenger and will headline WrestleMania 39 alongside the Anoa’i family member. Ahead of the much-anticipated clash, The American Nightmare has finally revealed the reason he left Tony Khan’s promotion to go back to its rival.
Cody Rhodes reckons he was too young to run AEW
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While having a star like Cody Rhodes in their ranks is a dream for many, Tony Khan lived that dream. Unfortunately, the promoter didn’t know how to care for the proverbial golden goose.
According to the Royal Rumble winner, he was doing it all on his own, while Khan was “getting comfortable with the idea”. Cody said his new role was taking him away from wrestling, his true love.
“I think it distanced me a little bit from being just a wrestler,” Cody told Rich Eisen while appearing on The Rich Eisen Show recently. The 2x WWE Intercontinental Champion also said he believed he was too young for the executive role.
“I think the job I had at AEW, I might have been a little too young for it, definitely a little too immature for,” he said. When the interviewer asked for clarification, Rhodes explained that he still had so much in-ring action left in him. Tony Khan should have paid more heed, but unfortunately, he did not.
WWE didn’t take long to rectify their mistake of the past and spotted the glitch in Tony Khan and Cody Rhodes’ professional relationship.
Meanwhile, Vince McMahon once again proved why he’s such a revered figure in the sports entertainment business. He didn’t go about making the same mistake as Tony Khan. They gave Cody Rhodes no such creative power in the WWE upon his return to the promotion, something he admitted to relishing.
“I come back to WWE, I got no power, I got no stroke, just I’m defined by my performance and my competition skills alone and that’s a nice feeling,” the top babyface said.
However, even with a massive boost in WWE, Cody isn’t satisfied.
The American Nightmare has miles to go
Without a doubt, the Cody Rhodes storyline is one of the best going around in WWE at the present moment. His heartfelt, sincere promos, coupled with his supreme in-ring performance, do make for an interesting watch for the fans. Yet, the former WWE Tag Team Champion believes he has just started.
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In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Cody revealed why he isn’t satisfied yet while detailing his future plans.
“It’s satisfying and vindicating,” Cody said about his Royal Rumble win, adding, “But it’s hard for me to look at it and say, ‘Hey, I told you so. I knew I had it,’ unless I beat Roman Reigns.”
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There, Rhodes has said it. That said, the belt is long due now to find a new owner.
