In a revealing new interview, Undisputed WWE Championship challenger Cody Rhodes has spoken candidly about his decision to leave All Elite Wrestling in 2022. A teaser released for Rhodes’ upcoming appearance on the Bill Simmons podcast features the “American Nightmare” stating that he felt “disrespected” in the company he helped build and acknowledging that “bad blood” clearly exists.
Cody Rhodes Opens Up About Feeling Disrespected In AEW
Cody Rhodes was one of the founding Executive Vice Presidents of AEW, but he made the shocking decision to leave the company in February 2022. In the new interview clip, he explains that the feeling of being disrespected in a company he viewed as his own creation was something he could not tolerate, contrasting it with how he might have felt in a more established corporate structure like WWE.
“There’s clearly bad blood, but there’s also clearly respect and love,” Rhodes said of AEW. “In the end, the way I see it is — if I felt disrespected ever at WWE, that’s one thing. That’s a company that was built… that’s the Yankees. That’s the flagship of it all. If I ever felt there, I was a number on a sheet maybe. But feeling disrespected at something I built with my friends, that we built — feeling disrespected there, I wouldn’t stand for it.”
While the teaser clip is edited, Rhodes’s words paint a clear picture of a foundational figure who felt his contributions were no longer being properly valued.
The House That Cody Helped Build
Rhodes’s comments about building the company with his friends are a direct reference to his instrumental role in AEW’s formation alongside Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson). As an EVP, he was not just a top on-screen talent but also a key figure behind the scenes. His departure was a major blow to the young promotion and sent shockwaves through the wrestling industry. In the podcast teaser, he elaborates on the decision to leave that house, a choice heavily supported by his wife, Brandi Rhodes.
“And I think Brandi and I both — I’m so blessed to have her. It was one of those where it was, ‘F**k it. I did way more here than you think. And you’re going to find out the moment I’m out the door,’” he explained.
This statement highlights his confidence that his value to the company would only be truly understood after he was gone.
The “Greatest Revenge” and The Road to SummerSlam
Since his dramatic return to WWE at WrestleMania 38, Cody Rhodes has been on a mission to “finish the story” and prove that his decision to leave AEW was the correct one. He has become one of WWE’s biggest stars, and he views his success as the ultimate vindication.
“I don’t believe in the cold-hearted backstabby type of revenge. The greatest revenge on Earth is success,” Rhodes said. “And I felt like we were sitting on something wonderful, something great… we’re sitting on some magic. And if I’m not going to do it in the house that I literally, with Matt, Nick, and Kenny built? Then buddy, I’m going elsewhere.”
That success has led him to this weekend’s SummerSlam, where he is scheduled to challenge John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a highly anticipated main event.
The release of this podcast teaser just days before his massive SummerSlam main event is no accident, adding another layer of real-world drama to his on-screen story. As Rhodes prepares to face John Cena, his candid comments serve as a stark reminder of the journey he has taken and the chip on his shoulder that has fueled his quest to prove that leaving the company he built was the right decision.
