Cody Rhodes (and his wife Brandi) officially left AEW on Tuesday. And now the question on every wrestling fan’s mind is whether or not “The American Nightmare” will return to WWE for the first time since asking for his release from the company back in 2016. Multiple reports regarding the situation have already pointed in that direction — Fightful‘s Sean Ross Sapp, Ariel Hewlani and the Wrestling Observer‘s Dave Meltzer all confirmed in reports on Wednesday that conversations between Rhodes and WWE officials have taken place. No deal has been signed as of yet, so stay tuned for further updates! Rhodes’ AEW contract expired at the start of 2022 and, according to Sapp, he did not re-sign as the two sides could not agree on money.
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Ironically, Rhodes claimed in a media scrum following AEW’s first pay-per-view, Double or Nothing 2019, that he would never be able to go back to WWE. He said at the time, “I literally burned the bridge tonight. I can’t go back [to WWE], and I’m fine with that. I want us to play.” That night famously saw Rhodes smash a stone throne with a sledgehammer, a not-so-subtle shot at WWE’s Triple H.
Rhodes confirmed his contract status back in late January after dropping the TNT Championship to Sammy Guevara on the Jan. 26 episode of AEW Dynamite. He said at the time, “There’s so many elephants in the room,” Rhodes said. “This is an insane week in wrestling. People think that the Sean Ross [Sapp] story is bs — it’s not. I am working here without a contract. I’m not even on payroll anymore. I’m working here on a handshake deal. That is 100% legitimate, I swear on Pharaoh’s life [his dog] if you want to know how serious things got.”
His statement on Tuesday made no reference toward WWE, nor did it indicate why he left the company. It concluded with, “I have so many milestones and beautiful memories of this renaissance…through sweat, blood, tears, literal fire, and all that…I left it all on the mat. Everything pales in comparison to the final contribution I was empowered to lead at the company, the community outreach team. In the most inward moments, your outward behavior and your ability to take fame/influence and do something of value for the communities you visit (whether the cameras are on or off) is the highest honor. I am confident Amanda Huber will lead the department with style. I’m so proud of my creations and contributions and the items I supported or collaborated on with such wonderful professionals. Thank you, fans. Y’all did the work! Let’s live forever.”
Do you think Rhodes will eventually make his way back to WWE? Will he be utilized as a main eventer or punished for leaving and eventually creating competition for the company? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!
