Cody Rhodes knows the possibility of a showdown with Roman Reigns exists.
Cody made his long-speculated return to WWE on night one of WrestleMania 38. He was the mystery opponent for Seth Rollins. Cody ended up scoring the pinfall victory in a highly praised match.
Reigns was also in action at WrestleMania 38 but he took the stage for the main event on night two. “The Tribal Chief” pinned Brock Lesnar to become the undisputed WWE Universal Champion. That means as of now, there is only one men’s world champion in WWE.
Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns?
On the post-WrestleMania episode of Raw, Cody Rhodes made his intentions clear. “The American Nightmare” said he returned to WWE to become a world champion.
During an appearance on WWE’s The Bump, Rhodes said that a match with Reigns is there but the journey has some more pitstops (h/t PW Torch).
“When I left here, Roman Reigns was on top. And I think Roman Reigns was experiencing some of the negative byproduct of being on top. Some of the pushback that a new face, a new individual, but the thing that makes a champion in any company in anything is consistency.
“And we he said ‘Dallas, Texas, acknowledge me,’ and whether they’re supposed to boo, cheer, whatever it might be, and they acknowledged him? You want to know a term that’s often really overused in what we do? It’s ‘over.’ Oh this guy’s so over, she’s so over. No, over is years and years and years of work to where fans follow you.
“That’s part of my song,” Rhodes said of his relationship to fans. “I’ll follow you to the end. That’s how I feel about the fans and hopefully that’s a mutual thing. He’s (Reigns) truly gotten over via consistency and via hard work. What he has going now with Paul Heyman and The Usos, it’s a very intimidating presence. It exists. There’s a match out there. That is likely ‘the match’ that exists out there. But before the match, you have to cross paths in some capacity and we haven’t yet. And I look forward to that.”
Cody may very well still be involved in a feud with Rollins. The two shook hands on Raw but Rollins didn’t come across as sincere. In fact, even the commentary team hinted that there’s more to come with this rivalry.
Cody Rhodes insists that his promo on the Raw after WrestleMania 38 was not scripted.
While WrestleMania 38 received some solid reviews, even from those who have been known to criticize WWE, the post-Mania episode of Raw didn’t exactly carry the momentum over. One thing that stood out about the episode, however, was Cody’s highly-praised opening promo.
Cody discussed how he made a promise to his father that he’d win the big one in WWE and put the championship on his shoulder. Cody said that while he can no longer hand the WWE Championship or WWE Universal Title to “The American Dream,” he can still put it on around the waist of “The American Nightmare.”
Cody Rhodes’ First Promo Back In WWE Was Unscripted
Appearing on WWE’s The Bump, Cody Rhodes revealed that he simply spoke from the heart during the segment and was unfiltered (h/t F4WOnline).
“I was just able to go out and speak in an unscripted, raw fashion and tell a story about my dad that not everybody knows,” Rhodes said.
“I actually have the title I spoke about but not everybody knows that story. That was my original impetus and whole origin story on wanting to be a wrestler. So, to be able to tell the world that was very special.”
Once the April 4 episode of Raw stopped airing, Cody had a match with Kevin Owens. Rhodes won the match and talked to the crowd for a bit before sending them home.
The professional wrestling world is still buzzing over the WWE return of Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 38 this past weekend. Rhodes was revealed as Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent for “The Showcase Of The Immortals,” and the pair put on an extraordinary matchup. It was “The American Nightmare’s” first appearance in WWE since leaving the company back in 2016.
Recently, former WCW president and ex-Monday Night RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff offered his thoughts on Rhodes’ WWE return during the latest episode of his podcast, “83 Weeks.” Bischoff noted how proud of Rhodes he was, calling the return “magic” in every aspect. He even revealed that he reached out to Rhodes after it all went down.
“Magic, just one word, magic,” Bischoff said (via Wrestling Inc.). “Everything from the entrance, the match, the post-match production, the visual reactions to the crowd, what element of that entire presentation was not a 10 on a scale of 1-10. I don’t know, I couldn’t pick it out.
“That was so good, I was so so happy to be able to watch that live. So proud and I reached out to Cody, we connected afterwards and I’m just so proud for him. I really really am.”
Rhodes also made his return to Monday Night RAW last night, delivering an emotional promo referencing his late father, WWE Hall Of Famer Dusty Rhodes. “The American Nightmare” made it clear that he has his eyes locked on a World Championship as he begins his second run with the company.
He closed out the segment by shaking Rollins’ hand in a showing of respect. Rhodes is also slated to be a guest on tomorrow’s episode of WWE The Bump, likely further discussing his return to the company.
On this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, we saw Elias return to WWE TV with a brand new gimmick. Sporting a clean-shaven look and some new ring attire, Elias, now going by the name Ezekiel, confronted Kevin Owens fresh off his WrestleMania 38 loss to Stone Cold Steve Austin. The man formerly known as “The Drifter” noted that he isn’t Elias, but rather Elias’ brother, Ezekiel.
According to a report from PWInsider, WWE internally has Ezekiel listed as a babyface for the red brand. Also, the Elias character has been removed from WWE’s internal roster. For now, it seems that the Elias character is dead, and Ezekiel is here to stay. It should also be noted that Ezekiel is now using Elias’ old Twitter account.
Cody Rhodes Set for The Bump
Cody Rhodes made his return to Monday Night RAW last night, cutting an emotional promo before ultimately shaking hands with Seth Rollins to close the segment. Rhodes made his triumphant return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 this past weekend, as he was revealed as Rollins’ mystery opponent. Rhodes defeated Rollins in a classic matchup, and made it clear that he intends to win a World Title during his new run with the company.
Now, WWE’s Kayla Braxton has announced on Twitter that Rhodes will be a special guest on this week’s episode of The Bump, streaming live on WWE’s YouTube channel tomorrow at 10:00 AM ET. You can check out the official announcement below.
Cody Rhodes competed in his first non PPV match for WWE in over 6 years after this week’s Raw went off air. The showdown also involved The Rock’s mother.
This week’s episode of Raw opened with the returning star cutting a promo. He was later confronted by his WrestleMania opponent Seth Rollins and the two shook hands.
Though this wasn’t the last of Cody fans in attendance got to see during the night. He came out again to compete in a dark match against Kevin Owens after the cameras stopped rolling.
The opponents shared a hug and shook hands before the match began. The bout lasted about six minutes according to fans.
Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens with a handshake and a hug before their match tonight after #WWERAW
The Rock’s mother Ata Johnson who was at the ringside got involved in this match at one point. She held up Owens so Cody Rhodes could hit the former Universal champion with some chops and a Bionic Elbow.
KO also mocked the former AEW EVP with The Young Bucks pose during the fight. Though he ended up losing the match to the former TNT champion.
Cody Rhodes made his anticipated return to WWE in what’s being referred to as “the worst kept secret in pro wrestling,” this past weekend when he was revealed as Seth Rollins’ surprise WrestleMania 38 opponent.
Rhodes initially left WWE back in 2016 after being subjected to the Stardust gimmick that he has openly stated he was not a big fan of. Since his departure, Rhodes birthed his “American Nightmare” persona, a play on his father, WWE Hall Of Famer Dusty Rhodes’, “American Dream” nickname. After a successful indie run, as well as helping build All Elite Wrestling (AEW) up from scratch, Rhodes decided to return to WWE when his contract with AEW expired earlier this year.
Now, after having proved himself as a top singles star away from the company, Rhodes is back in WWE with a much different outlook on his potential. When negotiating his return with Vince McMahon, Rhodes tells BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani he told “The Chairman Of The Board” he never wants to hear about the Stardust gimmick ever again.
“There wasn’t any true guarantees, there was a request,” Rhodes said (via Wrestling Inc.). “I said I never want to ever see Stardust ever again and I never want to see, hear it or talk about it and it was a handshake and that was all I needed.
“Then the first thing I did in the match last night was a random Stardust reference, I thought what’re you doing? You’re going back on your own strange request, other than that it was complex to get this all together and maybe one of wrestling’s biggest contracts, which I’m so flattered about. I have a child so yeah.
Cody Rhodes topped Rollins in an excellent matchup during Night One of WrestleMania 38, and is ready to address the WWE Universe tonight on Monday Night RAW. It will be interesting to see what’s in store for “The American Nightmare” in the midst of the WrestleMania fallout.
Cody Rhodes says the Nightmare Factory isn’t going anywhere.
Rhodes made a spectacular return to WWE at WrestleMania 38. The pyro blasted, the lights went off, and fans went nuts after hearing the words, “Wrestling has more than one royal family.”
Cody went one-on-one with Seth Rollins and emerged victorious. Rhodes’ return to WWE has left many with questions, including whether or not the Nightmare Factory will still be running.
Nightmare Factory Stays, Says Cody Rhodes
During a media scrum, Cody Rhodes confirmed the status of the Nightmare Factory (h/t Wrestling Inc).
“We watch everything, I don’t like to be in a bubble I know how big WrestleMania was, and it would be very easy to be in this bubble because I could live in it forever. In terms of the scope and grandeur of what Kevin Dunn directed [Saturday] night in terms of this beautiful presentation.
“But we know, it’s happening all over, that’s why it worked last night. I wasn’t just in a cave for the last six years, so that’s why it works.
“The Factory will continue to operate and run.”
Cody also said that the gym was never tied down to a promotion. Rhodes has been adamant about the Nightmare Factory teaching upcoming wrestlers how to make real money in the business.
Cody has signed a multi-year deal with WWE. He was one of the founding members of AEW and his WWE return is viewed as a big deal in the industry.
Cody Rhodes will address the WWE Universe at tonight’s WWE Raw.
Monday Night Raw the night after WrestleMania has become a destination for big happenings. This year’s installment will be no exception.
Rhodes made a shocking return at WrestleMania Saturday as Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent. He picked up the victory in what was certainly one of the most significant nights in his storied career.
The American Nightmare posted a series of photos on Instagram on Sunday.
The caption reads, “Thank you all – let’s live forever. Looking forward to having a live @wwe mic in my hand for the first time in over 6 years tomorrow. @usa_network”
After six years away from WWE, it will be very interesting to hear what Cody Rhodes has to say about his return and what his plans are now that he’s back.
In addition to a Cody Rhodes promo, Raw will feature the in-ring return of Veer and of course, plenty of WrestleMania 38 fallout.
The Young Bucks are never shy to react to the happenings of the wrestling world and their responses are especially notable when they are about someone close to them.
One such reply from the AEW stars came in response to Cody Rhodes. The former TNT champion made his triumphant WWE return after 6 years at WrestleMania 38.
Cody later commented on the moment on Twitter, writing that wrestling is a love story. The ever opportunist Bucks didn’t waste any time. They responded to their friend, joking that their story was never going to be romantic enough for him:
After leaving WWE in 2016, Cody Rhodes joined The Young Bucks and other members of The Elite. This group took over the independent wrestling scene by storm.
In 2018, this group took on a challenge from wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer and sold out a ten thousand seat arena on their own.
The event called ALL IN later became the foundation for the formation of All Elite Wrestling, the first major wrestling promotion to compete with WWE in two decades.
Though Cody Rhodes surprised everyone by leaving the company he helped build earlier this year. Now the wrestling veteran has returned to where it all started.
Cody Rhodes has been making the media rounds since returning to WWE at WrestleMania Saturday.
While speaking with Ariel Helwani in an interview released on Sunday, Rhodes said he wasn’t satisfied being the gatekeeper in AEW. He didn’t want to be the guy that feuds with a new star. Instead, he wanted to wrestle new people and got to do that.
Rhodes also reiterated comments about not wanting to be just a “15-time TNT champ” in AEW. He started to get the sense that he has more to accomplish.
Rhodes mentioned in a previous interview with Variety that there was a personal matter between him and AEW President Tony Khan that they were unable to get past.
“Unfortunately, I can’t comment on the personal matter itself. Tony Khan, who I have genuine respect for and I hope history is really kind to because he bankrolled this entire grassroots movement that was starting in ROH and then All In happened, then, of course, AEW happened and then he was able to buy that footage back. I felt like we were drifting apart.
It just genuinely felt like it was time. I can’t comment on the personal nature of it but it was nothing nefarious or scandalous, just we couldn’t agree. Nothing but respect for him, his family, the infrastructure there.”
Rhodes added that the personal issue between him and Khan was nothing sensational. He’s unsure if he’ll ever share what happened, but it wasn’t anything crazy.
“It just was a rather easy decision. Hard, and hard to explain to the fans, which we didn’t, and hard to explain to the talent because one week I was there and the next week Ricky Starks and QT [Marshall] are bringing in bags and getting all my stuff out of the box and making the biggest scene they possibly could instead of being discreet as I asked them to. I had a wonderful experience there and I feel the experience had maxed out. You never want to start getting into a situation where the love goes away.”
Cody Rhodes is back in WWE after being an executive vice president in AEW in addition to a top star. Now in WWE, he will only be a wrestler.
Rhodes spoke with the media on Sunday and was asked about potentially holding a job in management again. Cody said he doesn’t believe he was mature enough for the role.
“Never say never, just general. Because in six years if we are having this conversation again I could be completely going back what I said. I don’t think I want a management job in wrestling ever again,” he admitted. “I don’t think I was mature enough for it. And I tried.
Rhodes also was asked if he has any interest in being involved with the Performance Center, the training facility of WWE where his father, Dusty, had a huge impact within NXT at the end of his career.
Rhodes admitted it is a little too hard for him right now to go to the Performance Center and if he never walks into it again he would be happy because Dusty’s office and boots are there.
“I am fully all in and committed to it [WWE]. So where I go, they’ll send me where I go. But I will try and stay clear of any management roles, anything like that ever. I am a wrestler. A superstar, and that’s probably what’s best for me.”
Rhodes will address his WWE return in storyline on Monday Night Raw.
WWE has given fans a special look at Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 38 entrance.
The secret on Cody returning to WWE had long been out. We saw conflicting reports on whether Rhodes was in or not. Ultimately, he put pen to paper for a massive return.
Cody took on Seth Rollins at this particularly “Stupendous” WrestleMania. Rhodes received quite the ovation when his music hit and an even louder roar when he appeared on stage.
This is a big deal in the wrestling industry as Cody Rhodes was one of the founding members of AEW. While some thought he’d stick with the company for the long haul, that ended up not being the case.
WWE has released behind-the-scenes footage of Cody right up to his entrance and then the aftermath.
Cody Rhodes had very little control in WWE when he left the company six years ago but when he came back, he came back on his own terms.
The American Nightmare not only got a hero’s welcome and a big match at WrestleMania, but he did so while keeping all the aspects of the persona he worked hard to build in the last six years.
During his post-show interview with David Shoemaker, Rhodes revealed how Vince McMahon reacted when he asked to keep his entrance music and look upon his comeback to the promotion:
“I remember saying it had to be The American Nightmare,” Cody said. “To hear Vince say ‘well it’s not broke,’ it’s vindication to prove people wrong who doubted you and prove people right who were on board with you.”
Cody Rhodes also confirmed that he will be making an appearance on this Monday’s episode of Raw. He will talk about the unfinished business that has brought him back:
“I’m going to talk about it all on Raw, but it’s pretty clear what I am here to do, there’s unfinished business for my family that we never got, and I am going to be the one to get it.”
It has been confirmed that Cody has signed a multi-year deal with WWE after his triumphant return and big win over Seth Rollins at the grandest stage of them all.
Cody Rhodes made his triumphant return at WrestleMania 38. His comeback was one of the biggest stories coming out of night 1 of the Show Of Shows.
The big moment created a huge buzz across the wrestling world. It led to not only fans but many wrestling personalities reacting to the amazing moment on social media.
The Nature Boy Ric Flair sent out congratulations to Cody Rhodes. He explained how Cody’s father, the late great Dusty Rhodes would be reacting to the match:
Congratulations @CodyRhodes! Your Dad Is Going “God Damn!” Right Now. What An Amazing Match! #WrestleMania
The American Nightmare faced off against Seth Rollins in a singles match. The bout was filled with call-backs from Rhodes’ career and he went on to win the fight.
Members of his family also took the time to react to it. Brandi Rhodes posted a photo with her husband while Dustin Rhodes reacted to a Cody cutter from the match:
Apart from this, people such as Amanda Huber, Matt Cardona, Paige, and many more took Twitter to share their feelings. You can check out some of the top reactions below:
Getting a hero’s welcome at WrestleMania 38 was the biggest moment of Cody Rhodes’ wrestling career. As much as Cody did it for his late great father Dusty Rhodes, he did it for his own daughter and wife as well. The second-generation star reacted to his huge moment at the Show Of Shows in a couple of backstage videos after his match against Seth Rollins.
Rhodes mentioned how he has been running away from the specter of Dusty for his whole career. After everything he has done in 16 years, he finally felt like he could do it for himself. He is now ready to play the game:
“Everyone keeps saying the same two words. They say ‘welcome home’, and as flattering as that is and as much as I appreciated it, reciprocate the feeling. For the entire career of 16 years, I’ve run away from the specter of Dusty Rhodes, the shadow because it’s so big and so great,”
And I finally felt like ‘You know, I don’t have to do it for him anymore. Maybe I could do it for me, and that will be doing it for him’. I got the chance to go out there and do it in Texas.” ” said Cody Rhodes, “The last WrestleMania I was here as Stardust and to come back and to be me [is the] ultimate vindication. I’m very happy. They say welcome home, I say ‘I’m ready to play the game, let’s go.'”
Cody talked about the welcome he got from the crowd. He mentioned how Texas has seen people such as Steve Austin and The Undertaker. So you have to earn that reaction. He said that he worked for 16 solid years to earn the same. He thinks he is the best wrestler in the entire world and the only way to prove it is to win the big one.
Cody Rhodes returned home after 6 long years away at WrestleMania and it appears that the American Nightmare is here to stay.
The law firm representing the former TNT champion sent out a press release immediately after his triumphant return at the Show of Shows. It confirmed that Rhodes has signed a multiyear deal with WWE:
“Saturday night, in front of a massive crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Rhodes returned in a main event match with multi-time former WWE Champion Seth Rollins. Rhodes has inked a multi-year deal with the company.”
Cody Rhodes' team of Hyperion, Spanos Law and Vision PR confirms he is signed to a multi-year WWE deal — and will serve as executive producer to the Dusty Rhodes documentary on A&E pic.twitter.com/wGX20b6UhE
The statement confirmed that apart from his contributions in the ring, Cody Rhodes will serve as the executive producer for an A&E biography on his father Dusty Rhodes.
The former AEW star surprised everyone when he made the decision to leave Tony Khan’s promotion earlier this year. He had been rumored to make his WWE return since then but fans had their doubts about it actually happening until tonight.
Cody Rhodes has also broken up his silence on his big WrestleMania moment. He explained his decision by saying that he is still the kid that wants to earn a world title in WWE, something his father didn’t get the chance to do.
Cody Rhodes made his big WWE return at WWE WrestleMania 38 where he beat Seth Rollins. The former AEW star spoke with Variety about what his return to WWE means, why he decided to depart from AEW, and more.
Regarding how he is feeling about the return, he described having various feelings from happy, excitement, pressure, responsibility, all of it. He thinks it’s kind of a culmination of his whole career and it’s returning to him in something he built and nobody else. He called it the “ultimate vindication.”
Rhodes On What He Told Key WWE Officials
“I told Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard and Nick Khan — this very small circle of individuals — I told them what I truly believe and it’s that I’m the best wrestler in the world. And to go further with it, I actually don’t think there’s a close second. But with that said, the opportunity now exists to prove it, and that’s what I’m most excited about.
It’s a completely different individual returning to the game. It’s a different brand. It’s someone who’s experienced all the wonders of independent wrestling, of traveling internationally, of being able to get on the ground with the fans that make this whole ship move. But different person or not, I’m still that little kid that I mentioned in an AEW promo that wants what my dad didn’t get, and I’m not going to say it out loud because I don’t want to jinx it. But, you know, he went to Madison Square Garden, stood across from Superstar Billy Graham and he held it in his hands, the goal of mine, and it was taken away because that was the context of the match. I understand that now as an adult, but as a kid, that was the only reason I ever wanted to get in, so that I could get what he didn’t get.”
Rhodes On His AEW Departure
Rhodes stated that there is nothing bad to say about how his AEW run came to end. At the end of the day, it was all about him feeling like it was time to leave a company he helped launch in 2019 alongside Tony Khan, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks.
“I chose to remain silent about my departure from AEW and I’m going to keep my word on that. There’s no shoot interview. There’s no nefarious tale that’s going to be told. There were all these different theories and none of them are correct. I mean, there were things about money and creative control. They were printed as fact and it’s been a very difficult two months to see that, when the reality is it was just time. It was a personal matter and we couldn’t move past it. I have nothing but respect for Matt [Jackson], Nick [Jackson] and Kenny [Omega]. I’m rooting for Tony Khan. His name is going to be in the history books as someone who helped to bankroll and support this entire alternative and revolution that AEW became but for me, it was just time to to move on. I get an opportunity at my dream, I get another chance at it. And you really can’t leave any stone unturned with that.”
Cody Rhodes has made a return to WWE after leaving AEW as he was Seth Rollins’ opponent at WrestleMania 38. Vince McMahon had promised Rollins a spot on the card, but it would be been an opponent of his choosing.
Cody came out with his AEW theme song and “American Nightmare” nickname. They did a suplex spot spilling out to the floor. At one point, Rollins told him, “Welcome back to the big leagues, bitch.” Cody with an outside dive then a moonsault off the top rope. Cody with cross rhodes for a near fall. Cody with a cutter for 2. Cody hit cross rhodes three times and the Dusty elbow for the win.
Rhodes’ AEW contract expired in December, but he continued to work for the promotion both on-screen and behind the scenes. However, in a bombshell of a move, Rhodes alongside his wife, Brandi Rhodes, left the promotion after not reaching an agreement in February. The married couple as well as AEW President Tony Khan put out statements regarding the move.
Shortly after, there were various reports that Rhodes was headed back to WWE, a company where he started his pro wrestling career. His first WWE stint lasted from 2006 to 2016 where the last few years of his career he was placed as a mid-card talent with the Stardust gimmick that he strongly disliked. He was unhappy and asked for his WWE release, which was granted.
He then made himself a bigger star outside of WWE by working for the likes of Impact Wrestling, ROH and NJPW before helping to launch All Elite Wrestling in 2019 where he held the TNT Title.
There are a ton of rumors swirling around who will be Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent at WrestleMania 38 this weekend. The favorite for the nod is none other than former WWE and AEW star Cody Rhodes. Rhodes is currently a free agent after making the decision to leave AEW, and would be the perfect surprise opponent for Rollins in Dallas.
AJ Styles, who faces Edge at this weekend’s “Show Of Shows,” recently offered his thoughts on the matter speaking to Wrestling Inc. during media row. “The Phenomenal One” says he’ll believe it when he sees it.
“Listen, I haven’t seen Cody here, so I’ll believe it when I see it,” Styles said. “This is what we’ve been a part of for a couple, well I’ve been decades. There’s a lot of rumors, but you don’t believe something until you actually see it.”
Title Match Added to IMPACT Rebellion
Another title bout has been added to the upcoming IMPACT Rebellion card on April 23. The event will go down from the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. On this week’s episode of IMPACT Wrestling, Rosemary emerged victorious from a 10-Knockouts Battle Royal to become the new No. 1-contender for Tasha Steelz’s Knockouts World Title.
Rosemary defeated Lady Frost, Jordynne Grace, Gisele Shaw, Jessie McKay, Havok, Alisha Edwards, Savannah Evans, and Knockouts World Tag Team Champions Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood to earn the title nod. Now, she’ll face Steelz for the strap at Rebellion.
IMPACT World Title Match Josh Alexander vs. Moose (c)
IMPACT Knockouts World Title Match Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz (c)
Triple Threat for the IMPACT X Division Title Ace Austin vs. Mike Bailey vs. Trey Miguel (c)
Eight-Team Elimination Challenge for the IMPACT World Tag Team Titles The Good Brothers vs. The Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Decay vs. Willie Mack and Rich Swann vs. Rhino and Heath vs. Jay White and Chris Bey vs. Honor No More vs. Violent By Design (c)
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jonah
ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham vs. Eddie Edwards
The wrestling world has been buzzing about the future of Cody Rhodes for the past few weeks. Chris Jericho has now apparently confirmed his contractual status.
The former AEW world champion recently welcomed trademark attorney Mike Dockins as a guest on his Talk Is Jericho podcast. Dockins handles trademark issues for many professional wrestlers including in AEW.
During the episode, Jericho discussed how he is able to keep his name wherever he goes because he owns the trademark for the same. He also apparently confirmed that Rhodes is back in WWE:
“I’m pulling back the curtain a little bit on the wrestling business, you’re gonna discover how I’ve been able to be Chris Jericho no matter what company I work for or where I wrestle.
You’ll hear how Danhausen gets to keep his name and gimmick from promotion to promotion.” said Chris Jericho, “How Cody got to reclaim Rhodes from WWE even though he’s back in WWE…”
WWE has been teasing the return of the former TNT champion for the last few weeks. Reports suggest that he has already signed a new contract with the company.
Seth Rollins is expected to face Rhodes in a match at WrestleMania. At this point it’s only a matter of time before we see the former Legacy member back in a WWE arena.
Jake Roberts simply wants Cody Rhodes to be happy.
Back in February, wrestling fans were shocked to learn that Cody and his wife Brandi Rhodes would be leaving AEW. Cody is one of the founding members of AEW and was known for taking shots at WWE.
Ultimately, he has decided to return to the Vince McMahon-led empire according to PWInsider.
Jake Roberts On Cody Rhodes’ Decision
During an episode of the DDP Snakepit Podcast, Jake Roberts said that if signing with WWE is what makes Cody Rhodes happy then he has to accept it (h/t Wrestling Inc).
“Whatever he wants. Whatever his heart desires that will allow him to be around his child as much as possible. I know what I missed over the years, being on the road all the time. Nobody should have to miss the things that I missed. Nobody.
“Kids growing up are the most important thing because they help keep you young, you know? Watch them enjoy the things that you did, maybe 20 years before, but you get to taste some more of that. I think it’s important. Certainly, a strong family base is so important these days.
“That’s my desire for him, and Dustin I hope does whatever he wants to do and certainly deserves the opportunity to do whatever they want to do. If you have a job and you don’t love it, you’re going to work. I don’t want to work. I want to do something that I did that’s fun. That makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.
“Makes me feel like I’ve helped somebody out. Contributed to mankind in some way. Maybe moved a pebble or rock or a boulder, it doesn’t matter. I moved it. And that’s when you accomplish things, man.”
Jake “The Snake” continues to work for AEW. He currently manages Lance Archer.
WWE has been teasing Cody’s arrival on recent episodes of Raw. The American Nightmare could reappear on WWE television as soon as tonight’s Raw from Chicago’s Allstate Arena.
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins hasn’t been announced just yet, but we know when it will take place. Reddit user u/kerrmit125, a verified insider, has provided new information regarding WWE’s scheduling for the biggest 2-night event of the year.
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins is scheduled to take place at WrestleMania Sunday (“Night 2”).
It was also revealed that Becky Lynch vs Bianca Belair is booked to open WrestleMania Saturday. The ‘main event’ of WrestleMania Saturday won’t be Ronda Rousey challenging Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. In fact, it won’t be a match at all. Steve Austin’s appearance on the KO Show is slated to close WrestleMania Saturday.
WrestleMania 38 takes place April 2nd & 3rd from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
‘Dusty Would be So Proud’
Cody Rhodes’ sister Teil says their late father Dusty Rhodes would be “beaming with pride” over what’s about to happen.
She shared a photo over the weekend of Dusty and Cody together. She wrote, “I knew my old man best and I know he would be beaming with pride if he could see what’s next.”
WrestleMania is jam-packed with special attractions, but Cody Rhodes’ triumphant return has the potential to steal the spotlight from Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Steve Austin, Ronda Rousey, Jake Paul and Johnny Knoxville.
I knew my old man best and I know he would be beaming with pride if he could see what’s next. pic.twitter.com/ZT5LpvJ13a
Former AEW EVP and reportedly re-signed WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes made some intriguing comments regarding his previous place of employment in an interview that has resurfaced.
In an old episode of the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Rhodes revealed that he wanted to stay with the company as an EVP until he “died.”
“I wanna stay an Executive Vice President of All Elite Wrestling, and I’ve told Tony [Khan] this, until I die” Rhodes claimed during the interview with Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards.
“This is where I, this is the end of my road. I can’t necessarily go back [to WWE], the others can change [their mind] but I really can’t” Rhodes concluded.
Cody Rhodes Re-Signing with WWE
Rhodes is of course entitled to change his mind on the matter, and it appears he has done so with his WWE return impending.
Although Cody has taken shots against WWE in the past couple of years, it is clear that Vince McMahon does not take these personally.
There have been many instances of Superstars returning to the company after having issues in the past, and it’s fair to say that these problems were a whole lot worse than destroying a throne on PPV.
Hopefully, this will be a good move for Rhodes’ career, and he will be able to return to WWE in a main event level capacity.
Cody Rhodes will indeed be back in WWE if a new report is to be believed.
PWInsider is reporting that Cody put pen to paper about 10-14 days ago. The report notes that Cody is expecting to make his return to WWE during WrestleMania weekend. It’s been said that the current plan is to have him compete on the Monday Night Raw brand.
Cody is one of the founding members of AEW. When word broke that he and Tony Khan failed to come to terms on a new deal, it sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling industry.
Back in January, Cody Rhodes confirmed a report from Fightful claiming that he had been working AEW shows without a contract.
This is what Cody said after losing the TNT Championship to Sammy Guevara at the Beach Break episode of Dynamite:
“There are so many elephants in the room. This is an insane week in wrestling. People think that the Sean Ross story is BS, it’s not. I’m working here without a contract. I’m not even on the payroll anymore. I’m working here on a handshake deal. That is 100% legitimate, I swear on Pharaoh’s life.”
Cody was indeed telling the truth and he’s back with WWE. Rhodes got his start with WWE back in 2006 under Ohio Valley Wrestling. He made his main roster debut in 2007 and stood with the company until 2016 when his request to be released was granted.
Monday’s edition WWE Raw from Jacksonville, FL came and went with no sign of Cody Rhodes. The show was built around Seth Rollins needing something to do at WrestleMania. As the show went off the air, Rollins remained without an opponent for WWE’s biggest event of the year.
So, is Cody Rhodes really coming to WWE? If so, when?
WWE fans can rest assured, there is still an exceedingly high possibility that the American Nightmare will be back on WWE programming within the next month.
Cody Rhodes Hints During WWE Raw
WWE dropped several hints about Cody Rhodes throughout the Raw broadcast, both on camera and on social media.
During a backstage segment with Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens, Rollins complained about having nothing to do at WrestleMania. A loud, “Cody” chant broke out from the live crowd. WWE did not censor the chant, which speaks volumes. The company is not shy about piping in crowd noise to drown out chants they don’t want heard on television. WWE knows fans are expecting Cody Rhodes to be Seth Rollins’ WrestleMania opponent and are allowing this anticipating to continue building.
The WWE on BT Sport Twitter account tweeted a photo of Seth Rollins during Raw with the caption, “The adrenaline is pumping tonight, who’s Seth Rollins going to face at WrestleMania?” One could say, the adrenaline is pumping in Rollins soul.
After Seth Rollins lost to Kevin Owens in the main event, broadcaster Corey Graves noted, “His dreams were dashed. This must be a nightmare. These are clear references to Cody Rhodes’ nicknames, “Dashing” Cody Rhodes and “The American Nightmare.”
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
The impression within WWE is that Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins is locked in for WrestleMania. On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer spoke confidently about Cody’s imminent arrival.
“He’s coming. I mean, that’s it,” said Meltzer. “He’s coming. He’s wrestling Seth at Wrestlemania, unless something changes & I don’t expect.. I sure watched [Raw] not thinking anything’s changing.”
WWE has made Seth Rollins’ role at WrestleMania a focal storyline over the past couple weeks. If WWE truly had nothing for Rollins, they would downplay him and he would be cycled off television in the final weeks of hype. They’ve done the opposite.