Cody Rhodes didnt just help build AEWhe was AEW in many ways. As one of the companys founding Executive Vice Presidents, Cody was front and center during its launch in 2019 and became one of its most visible faces. But in 2022, Rhodes shocked the wrestling world by walking away from the company he helped create and returning to WWE.
Speaking with The Undertaker on Six Feet Under, Rhodes opened up about the gravity of that decisionand how risky it really was to leave AEW behind.
Rhodes wasnt just wrestling in AEWhe was starring on major TV shows like Go Big Show and Rhodes to the Top under WarnerMedia. But despite all of that, he took the risk to walk away.
Rhodes explained that failing in WWE wouldnt damage the companybut it would have crushed him personally and professionally.
AEW gave Cody the freedom to reshape himself into the American Nightmare, and its that version of him WWE embraced when he returned at WrestleMania 38. Still, walking away from an executive role, creative control, and a growing company like AEW took more than just confidenceit took guts. Cody Rhodes gambled on himself by leaving AEW. So far, the bet has paid offbut the risk was real.
