Cody Rhodes Discusses His Return To WWE, Leaving AEW

Cody Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38, when he was revealed as the surprise opponent for Seth Rollins. In the days leading up to WrestleMania, he sat down with Variety in an interview that was published shortly after his return.

He discussed a number of topics, including the decision to return to WWE, leaving AEW, his current plans and more.

Below are some questions, along with Cody Rhodes’ answers:

How does it feel knowing you’re not only coming back to WWE, but coming back at WrestleMania? 

Everyone who knows has asked me how I’m feeling, if I’m really excited. The answer I kind of keep giving everybody is it’s just a really heavy feeling. When I first got into wrestling, I was solely in the WWE system, and I had that dream of getting to the top. Then dreams are like rivers, as the Garth Brooks song says, and it veered and it changed. Then we were able to do what we were able to do with AEW and that’s something that I’m very proud of, but to be able to revisit the thing that I set out to do in the first place when I didn’t think I would get that chance is just heavy.

Even now, thinking about it is heavy. So yeah, all the feelings — happy, excited, pressure, responsibility, all of it. But I don’t know how I will feel until I’m out there. It just seems like kind of a culmination of my whole career, but I don’t want to jinx it. I don’t want to put any hyperbole there, but it’s the biggest crowd in wrestling. It’s returning as me in something that I built and nobody else built. And that’s the ultimate vindication.

You’ve been gone for almost six years. Do you feel as though you’re a completely different performer than when you left? 

I told Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and Nick Khan — this very small circle of individuals — I told them what I truly believe and it’s that I’m the best wrestler in the world. And to go further with it, I actually don’t think there’s a close second. But with that said, the opportunity now exists to prove it, and that’s what I’m most excited about.

It’s a completely different individual returning to the game. It’s a different brand. It’s someone who’s experienced all the wonders of independent wrestling, of traveling internationally, of being able to get on the ground with the fans that make this whole ship move. But different person or not, I’m still that little kid that I mentioned in an AEW promo that wants what my dad didn’t get, and I’m not going to say it out loud because I don’t want to jinx it. But, you know, he went to Madison Square Garden, stood across from Superstar Billy Graham and he held it in his hands, the goal of mine, and it was taken away because that was the context of the match. I understand that now as an adult, but as a kid, that was the only reason I ever wanted to get in, so that I could get what he didn’t get.

And of course, everyone wants to know about the details around your departure from AEW. 

I chose to remain silent about my departure from AEW and I’m going to keep my word on that. There’s no shoot interview. There’s no nefarious tale that’s going to be told. There were all these different theories and none of them are correct. I mean, there were things about money and creative control. They were printed as fact and it’s been a very difficult two months to see that when the reality is it was just time. It was a personal matter and we couldn’t move past it. I have nothing but respect for Matt [Jackson], Nick [Jackson], and Kenny [Omega]. I’m rooting for Tony Khan. His name is going to be in the history books as someone who helped to bankroll and support this entire alternative and revolution that AEW became but for me, it was just time to move on. I get an opportunity at my dream, I get another chance at it. And you really can’t leave any stone unturned with that.

Incredible. Thank you so much for speaking with me today, Cody. 

I also just wanted to share with you because I haven’t been able to share with anyone, I’m really excited that A&E is doing a documentary on my dad. To be able to be the executive producer on it and not have that even be in question and to be able to coordinate people who really were in his life and to tell his story, that’s a big part of this journey as well. To see that and have that crew there as well. Part of his journey is part of mine.

They also discuss The American Nightmare, a special championship belt that was passed down to him, and more.

 

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