Cody Rhodes returned to WWE on Saturday night at WrestleMania 38, returning to the promotion he famously left nearly six years ago.
During this period, Rhodes has wrestled around the world and was integral to the formation of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Tony Khan’s rival wrestling promotion. Rhodes was a top on-screen star and an executive vice president off-screen at AEW, but he left the company in February 2022 after failing to agree on a new contract.
In an interview with Variety in the days leading up to WrestleMania, Rhodes said his dream is still to do what his father — the legendary Dusty Rhodes — never did. He won’t say it out loud for fear of jinxing it, but Rhodes has his eye on the WWE Championship. Dusty fought superstar Billy Graham for what was then the WWWF title at Madison Square Garden in 1977 but never won it.
“He went to Madison Square Garden, faced superstar Billy Graham and had it in his hands, my goal, and it was taken away because that was the context of the game,” Rhodes said. “I understand that now as an adult, but as a kid that was the only reason I ever wanted in so I could get what he wasn’t getting.”
He also revealed that a documentary about Dusty Rhodes is in the works as part of WWE’s partnership with A&E under the banner Biography: WWE Legends. Former wrestling greats on the series include Bret Hart, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
Read the full interview below.
How does it feel to know that you’re not only coming back to WWE, but to WrestleMania as well?
Everyone who knows has asked me how I’m feeling, if I’m really excited. The answer I keep giving to everyone is that it’s just a really heavy feeling. When I got into wrestling I was exclusively in the WWE system and I had this dream of getting to the top. Then dreams are like rivers, as the Garth Brooks song says, and they turned and changed. Then we were able to do what we could do with AEW, and I’m very proud of that, but to be able to do what I originally set out to do when I didn’t think it would be these Getting a chance is difficult.
Even now it’s hard to think about. So yes, all the feelings – happy, excited, pressure, responsibility, everything. But I don’t know how I’ll feel until I’m out there. It just seems like some kind of highlight of my whole career, but I don’t want to jinx it. I don’t want to overdo it, but it’s the biggest crowd in wrestling. It returns as me in something I built and no one else has built. And that is the ultimate justification.
You’ve been gone for almost six years. Do you feel like you’re a completely different artist than when you left?
I’ve told Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard and Nick Khan – that very small circle of individuals – that I’ve told them what I truly believe in and that I’m the best wrestler in the world. And to go further, I actually don’t think there’s a close second. But with that said, now is an opportunity to prove it and that’s what I’m looking forward to the most.
It’s a completely different person coming back to the game. It’s a different brand. It’s someone who has experienced all the wonders of independent wrestling, traveled internationally and been able to get down to earth with the fans that get this whole ship moving. But other person or not, I’m still that little kid I mentioned in an AEW promo wanting 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, faced superstar Billy Graham and held it in his hands, my goal, and it was taken away because that was the context of the game. I understand that now as an adult but as a kid that was the only reason I ever wanted in so I could get what he didn’t get.
And of course everyone wants to know about the details surrounding your departure from AEW.
I have chosen to remain silent about my departure from AEW and I will keep my word on it. There is no shooting interview. There is no shameful story to be told. There have been all these different theories and none of them are correct. I mean, it was 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 that it was just about time. It was a personal matter and we couldn’t get over it. I have nothing but respect for Matt [Jackson]Nick [Jackson] and Kenny [Omega]. I cheer for Tony Khan. His name will go down in the history books as someone who helped fund and support this entire alternative and revolution that AEW became, but for me it was just about time to move on. I get an opportunity for my dream, I get another chance for it. And you really can’t leave anything untried.
Given everything you’ve done since leaving WWE, what do you think is the biggest lesson you’ll take into Saturday night?
I think the hardest thing to find for any wrestler is the connection to the audience. You can look like Lex Luger. You can wrestle like Bret Hart. But what is most important and what defines a pro wrestler to me is your ability to capture their imagination. That means they leave the show thinking about you, talking about you, debating whether it was good or bad. When you get the hang of it, it’s like a dog with a bone. You can never let it go I didn’t find that connection until 2015, 2016, up until the infamous bets on myself, you know?
All these independent shows, I don’t remember the games. I mean, sure I had fun and I met some great people, but I remember the silly long meet and greets and the stories and the universal connection about my dad that so many fans had with me. That’s the thing I’m carrying into this thing. I’m in much, much better shape. I’m in the best shape of my career. Again, I don’t think anyone can touch me from bell to bell. And I mean that. It sounds boastful, but I’m just confident in what I can do. But the most important thing I can take away is this connection with the audience. Because that’s what drives the game. And that was something I set off and did on my own, and again I didn’t want to let it go.
And will you still be known as The American Nightmare in WWE?
Yes. I mean there shouldn’t be any difference. To quote some of those people who courted me for that moment: “It’s not broke.” And this was a place that didn’t care about me. And it’s not that they didn’t love and respect me, but as a wrestler I wasn’t considered their most desirable. If anything, I was kind of unwanted. Hence the whole mantra, the whole “desirable to undeniable” promo to come back on your terms. It feels like being in the military and conquering something or winning that fight and being able to stand and keep your chin parallel to the ground and come that way, a bit like a conquering hero. That’s how I see it in my dreams.
Unbelievable. Thank you for speaking to me today, Cody.
I also just wanted to share with you because I couldn’t share with anyone, I’m really excited that A&E is making a documentary about my dad. Being able to be the executive producer and not even question that and being able to coordinate with people who were really in his life and tell his story, that’s a big part too this trip. To see that and have that crew there too. Part of his journey is part of mine.
Oh wow, that’s cool!
And I look forward to bringing back the WWWF championship belt I acquired a few months ago, the belt that Superstar and Dusty fought for. I look forward to carrying this in my bag.
Where did you get that?
Believe it or not, I’ll bet you he doesn’t want me to say his name, but it’s funny. Dan Lambert. He gave it to me for free and said, “I thought it was supposed to be yours.”
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