Cody Rhodes Makes Surprising Claim About AEW Exit

What was Cody Rhodes thinking when he left AEW?

Cody Rhodes’ journey through pro wrestling will surely be told through documentaries for years to come and long after he eventually retires.

Rhodes initially broke through in WWE but found himself pigeonholed as Stardust and opportunities limited. Determined to live up to his illustrious father’s legacy, Rhodes left WWE in 2016 and quickly wrestled with the likes of NJPW, ROH, and TNA before helping launch AEW in 2019.

However, by February 2022 it was time for a change and Rhodes left AEW, making a sensational return to WWE at WrestleMania 38. He’s since gone on to become World Champion while establishing himself as one of the biggest stars in the industry.

But speculation and uncertainty have continued to surround his AEW departure, given that neither he nor the company has ever explained the decision.

Cody Rhodes Was A Man Without A Plan

Speaking during an appearance on The Flagrant Podcast, Rhodes claimed he left AEW without a plan, but believed he’d be able to work things out and return if he needed to.

“It looked like I had a plan to everybody else, it was a total bluff. I didn’t know what the plan was. I certainly could have gone back (to AEW), we could have figured that out and been fine. Something inside was pointing a different direction for me,”

While discussing his exit from AEW elsewhere during the conversation, Cody Rhodes said the situation felt “icky,” but denied there had been issues between his wife Brandi and Tony Khan.

The star was most recently in action at Crown Jewel where he defeated Gunther to become the first-ever Crown Jewel Champion.

H/t to Fightful