Cody Rhodes, one of the hottest stars in WWE’s popularity charts, achieved his current status after making a name for himself on the independent circuits and helping establish AEW in 2019. Rising to fame with his American Nightmare gimmick, Rhodes’ journey in AEW wasn’t without its challenges. Wrestling fans noticed that he didn’t get as much time in the ring as he desired. Recently, he candidly opened up about his tenure in AEW, shedding light on how taking a backseat in AEW impacted his in-ring performance.

Cody Rhodes admits his backstage role in AEW made him worse in the ring

In 2019, Cody Rhodes played a crucial role in setting up AEW as one of the Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs) alongside other people. While Rhodes was still a wrestler, his focus on ideas and booking inputs meant he didn’t get as many opportunities to wrestle as he wished.

Speaking on the “INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet” podcast, Cody Rhodes acknowledged that his reduced time in the ring hurt his wrestling performance. 

He said, “I think the wrestling took a back seat right away because I thought my bigger mistake, and this wasn’t an AEW mistake, but this was a Cody mistake- my biggest mistake was thinking I’ll stay as good as I am in the ring only wrestling twice three times maybe just once a month.”

He revealed that initially, he wanted to contribute more behind the scenes. Then, aligning with his role in AEW, Tony Khan relied on his wrestling expertise to shape engaging storylines across the brand. However, as time passed, Rhodes realized his desire to wrestle more and eventually decided to leave AEW.

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He eventually came up with the decision to leave AEW for WWE. The burden of responsibilities impacted his in-ring performances. It led to the realization that he wanted to explore more opportunities in wrestling.

Cody Rhodes’ departure from AEW and WWE aspirations

Cody Rhodes’ exit from AEW was on amicable terms, devoid of bitterness. Given his soaring star power, his belief that it was high time to jump to WWE fueled the decision. Moreover, WWE expressed interest in having him back.

Driven by a personal aspiration, Cody also had a heartfelt reason for wanting to join WWE – to fulfill a dream that his father, Dusty Rhodes, couldn’t accomplish: winning the WWE Championship.

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With an eye on new horizons and aspirations, Cody Rhodes embarked on a journey toward WWE. He did leave behind a legacy in AEW and aimed to add a new chapter to his storied wrestling career. What are your thoughts? Comment down below to let us know.