Cody Rhodes “Hated” Young Bucks’ Narrative About His AEW Tenure

Cody Rhodes has never spoken ill about All Elite Wrestling. Rhodes exited the company he helped start in early 2022, electing to return to WWE at WWE WrestleMania 38. Since then, Rhodes has been questioned at length about the nature regarding his AEW departure. Rhodes has always opted to vaguely attribute his decision to leave as being a “personal issue” and praises his time working for Tony Khan and alongside The Elite in the process. Rhodes did seemingly react to AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm’s teasing of his WWE WrestleMania 40 celebration, saying his or his wife’s name should never be mentioned, he has always taken the high road when it comes to his former employer.

Cody Rhodes “Hated” This Narrative About His AEW Run

The American Nightmare took issue with one particular narrative about his time with AEW.

Speaking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes revealed that he was not a fan of how AEW Executive Vice Presidents The Young Bucks painted his initial AEW signing in their book.

“I got one. This one is juicy. I hated that in The Young Bucks’ book, they said I was last to the signing,” Rhodes recalled. “Because that’s a big thing. Some of the AEW defenders who don’t realize they’re turning people off to their product more than they’re turning people on, that’s one of the things that people always cite. ‘Oh, he was last, he wasn’t that big a deal to the origin.’”

Rhodes emphasized that a member of his personal team was responsible for meeting AEW President and CEO Tony Khan in the first place, and that meeting was what opened the door for the Bucks, Kenny Omega, and other foundational pieces to meet him as well.

“This guy here, who’s off camera, was the first person to ever meet Tony and he met him in a vetting process for all of us,” Rhodes continued. “So yes, I guess I was the last, and yes, I had different thoughts. It’s not incorrect at all what they said [that I was physically the last person to sign with AEW]. It’s not incorrect, but I was just in on it, as was anybody else. That’s a little thing that when I write a book, I get to tell [my side of story].”

Rhodes defends his WWE Championship against Solo Sikoa on WWE SummerSlam on Saturday, August 3rd.