Cody Rhodes Wanted To Leave WWE After Match Scrapped Last Minute

Cody Rhodes is riding high heading into SummerSlam, where he’s set to defend the WWE Undisputed Championship in a much-anticipated Street Fight against John Cena.

Now one of the brightest stars in WWE, Rhodes’ rise wasn’t always so certain. He recently opened up about a pivotal and painful moment from his early WWE career. He talked about the last-minute cancellation of his WrestleMania 29 match, a moment he shared with Nikki Bella.

Cody Rhodes Was Deeply Hurt By WWE’s Decision

Back in 2013, WWE had planned an eight-person mixed tag team match for WrestleMania 29. The match would have featured Cody Rhodes, Aron Stevens (Damien Sandow), and The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie) against Tyrus, Matt Bloom, Naomi, and Ariane Andrew. However, the match was scrapped backstage at the last minute, an experience that left both Rhodes and Nikki Bella deeply frustrated.

Speaking on the “What Do You Wanna Talk About” podcast, Nikki Bella expressed frustration and lingering hurt about the match. She explained that having her match cut felt terrible, worse even than embarrassing moments from her past. She’s upset by the possibility that the match may have been cut either genuinely or for TV drama, and says the feeling of disappointment is something only someone in her shoes would truly understand.

Cody Rhodes related her experience and described being angry about the situation, especially when others tried to stay optimistic by hoping the match could be rescheduled. The incident was so disheartening for him that it was the first time he mentally checked out from WWE. He emphasizes how painful it was to have that big moment taken away at the last minute.

So, my walk of shame is a little different. I knew you guys had been hit hard by it. There was one person, I’m not naming names, who is overly optimistic and like, ‘Alright! Well, we’ll do it at RAW!’ And they were in that place. I was so angry, and at that point, I think that’s the first moment where I was like, ‘I’m out. I am out.’ Out didn’t come till years later, but I thought, no, I’m out.

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