Less than two months after leaving AEW, Cody Rhodes made his highly-anticipated and unforgettable WWE return at day one of WrestleMania 38 weekend.
In February, AEW announced that Cody and Brandi Rhodes had parted ways with the company following the expiration of their contracts. The second-generation wrestler was also employed as an Executive Vice President in AEW, and Brandi worked as the company's Chief Brand Officer.
Following numerous rumors and reports that Cody would eventually return to WWE, he indeed came back at WrestleMania 38 to challenge Seth Rollins. The American Nightmare went back-and-forth with The Architect, and the match culminated in a victory for the 36-year-old Rhodes.
After Rhodes left AEW, it always felt like a matter of time until he'd return to the WWE. For the two-time Intercontinental Champion, getting assurance from a WWE Hall of Famer helped him settle on the decision to come back to Vince McMahon's promotion.
During an appearance on WWE's After the Bell with Corey Graves (h/t WrestlingInc.com) Rhodes detailed a conversation he had with Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) when the latter paid a visit to his house. During their talk, DDP convinced The American Nightmare that returning to WWE was the right decision for him.
"He brought up a good point, the last time I did something major leaving the WWE, he was of the same thought process," Rhodes said. 'Well if you believe, if you’re confident than I’ll be confident with you and confident for you,' and he gave me some tips on people to speak to and people to let things know before it all went down. He was the only one who was a little bit more fatherly and like okay, let’s make sure this is really what you want and not just a knee-jerk thing. For the most part, everyone who knew in that very small circle was like absolutely go do it, absolutely, which surprised me."
Rhodes' return to WWE has been a game-changer in the pro wrestling industry. Over the years, AEW has added a plethora of former WWE talents and Hall of Famers. But Rhodes was the first major former AEW star to sign with WWE since AEW opened its doors three years ago. And after his WrestleMania 38 performance, Rhodes claimed that more AEW stars will eventually come to the WWE.
What's Next For Cody Rhodes?
WWE hasn't wasted any time in pushing The American Nightmare, and it may only be a matter of time until he challenges WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Rhodes is still in a feud with Rollins, and the two will square off in a WrestleMania 38 rematch at WrestleMania Backlash next Sunday.
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