Cody Rhodes Makes Explosive Statement On Sudden Exit From WWE in 2016; 'Was Getting Mentally Worse'

WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has opened up on his sudden exit from WWE in 2016. Read on to know what he said.

By Mohammad Bilal

Updated on Jul 28, 2024 | 08:16 PM IST | 82.9K

Cody Rhodes. Photo: Getty

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What did Cody Rhodes say about his exit from WWE in 2016?
Cody rejuvenated himself in 2016

WWE Champion Cody Rhodes was once so embittered with the company that he had announced his resignation on social media before he had signed off with the company. That was in 2016 when his Stardust gimmick was literally killing him from the inside, and he couldn't carry it anymore.

Cody Rhodes recently said that he returned to WWE in 2022, when he realized that it was his time to return to his alma mater, but then the way he left the company is also something that Rhodes never forgets.

Even though he hasn’t spoken much about his frustrations with the company in 2016, he recently did address it. While speaking on the DDP Yoga, Rhodes shed light on how his sudden exit from the company not only changed his career, but also led to several policy changes in WWE regarding the departure of talents.

What did Cody Rhodes say about his exit from WWE in 2016?

The WWE Champion opened up about how his Stardust persona was affecting him, and how he just wanted to get away with it. He revealed that his booking into that character of Stardust was making him worse, mentally and even promo wise.

“For me, I needed to find a better situation. I was getting worse. Fundamentally worse, mentally worse, promo worse. Every facet of you that needs to be involved, I was getting worse at, Wrestling Inc. quoted.

Rhodes contended that he just didn’t want to be someone who works hard and delivers when he’s asked to but wanted to do something more than that. “And the last thing I wanted to be is a guy who, ‘Oh, he makes it work. Oh, he puts his heart and soul into it.’ No, I’d like to give you more than my heart and soul.. I had to get out. And that’s why it was abrupt how I got out,” he said.

The American Nightmare was so incensed with his spot that he went public with his quitting the company before even his release papers were done. He said that he did it on purpose because he wanted to send a message to the top, that they could sue him if they want, but he just wasn’t happy with his spot. “Because I needed to put it in the air and put it in writing so that I was held to it. Go ahead, sue me if you want… I cannot function in this spot,” he said.

Cody rejuvenated himself in 2016

Rhodes did independent wrestling for the first two years, where he polished his wrestling skills. And in 2019, his fortunes changed when he started a new wrestling promotion with Tony Khan, called All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Rhodes was the Vice President of the company along with The Young Bucks, and they had signed a five-year contract for the company.

However, Cody and Tony Khan developed some sort of differences which led to Rhodes quitting the company in 2022. In April, of the same year, he marked his sensational return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 and won his first bout against Seth Rollins.

After winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40, Rhodes had said that it was Triple H and Bruce Prichard who were the men behind bringing him back to the WWE.