Cody Rhodes Admits His AEW Run Had A Terrible Ending

Cody Rhodes made shockwaves with his return to WWE, but he had a memorable run in AEW before leaving the company. With that said, he admitted his AEW run had a terrible ending.

While speaking in a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Cody Rhodes reflected on his time in AEW, acknowledging that while he was hesitant to speak negatively about the company, his departure did not end well, citing “petty squabbles” behind the scenes.

Rhodes expressed his dissatisfaction with how things ended at AEW, describing it as “terrible.” He predicted that as time passes, more stories will emerge, potentially changing the narrative significantly.

“How AEW ended was terrible, really, and people are going to write books later on and these stories are going to get out there and then it’s going to be a whole new ballgame.”

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Drawing a comparison to the film The Dark Knight, Rhodes noted a parallel in how certain fans within the AEW fandom prefer a narrative where he was unwanted and pushed out, portraying him as the villain. Despite this, Rhodes maintained his respect for AEW, emphasizing the challenges of launching the original All In and the exhilaration of Double or Nothing. He also expressed gratitude for Tony Khan’s investment in their vision.

Regardless of any internal conflicts, Rhodes affirmed his enduring affection for AEW. He highlighted meaningful experiences like wrestling Brodie Lee’s final match and mentoring young talent behind the scenes, stating that he will always cherish those moments.

“I’m not comparing myself to Batman but there is a piece of it that’s really important. To certain fans from the AEW fandom, they need the story to be they didn’t want me, they pushed me out. They need ‘he was bad,’ they need that story. They need me to be the villain. I was always fine with accepting that because of the respect I have for (AEW) in the first place, how difficult it was to do the original All In, how unbelievable the feeling was to do Double or Nothing, how fortunate we were that Tony (Khan) wanted to invest in this vision and he had a vision as well.

Regardless of any petty squabbles, I will always have a love for it. I got to wrestle Brodie Lee’s final match. I got to lead people, young people behind the scenes. I will always have a love for it.”

Cody Rhodes also made it clear that he will never cheer against AEW no matter what. Cody Rhodes also revealed if he ever considered returning to AEW. Nonetheless, Rhodes and The Elite will always have a great relationship and that is unlikely to ever change.

Do you acknowledge Cody Rhodes’ contributions to AEW in general? Sound off in the comments section below!