Everyone was surprised when Cody Rhodes left All Elite Wrestling, particularly because he was one of the promotion's founding stars.
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Cody Rhodes’ departure from the AEW organization in 2022 is one of the most talked-about topics in professional wrestling in 2022. Cody Rhodes and his wife, Brandi Rhodes, would leave the All Elite Wrestling organization when Cody lost the TNT Championship in an instant classic against Sammy Guevara.
This came as a huge surprise since Cody Rhodes was an EVP in the firm and one of the guys who was instrumental in the founding of the company in the first place. Most employees commended him for his contributions to the organization, but Chris Jericho believes this is a decision that Rhodes would come to regret.
During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Chris Jericho discussed Rhodes’ decision to leave the AEW — as well as why you can’t stay in professional wrestling forever.
“Is it surprising at first? Sure. But it’s wrestling, man. It happens all the time. The only reason why this was such a big one is because it’s the first AEW guy who left, and obviously Cody had a huge part in this company.
“But now there’s Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Adam Cole, and Keith Lee with us. The more of those guys we bring in, the less spotlight is necessary to be shown on Cody Rhodes.
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“Maybe that’s one of the reasons why he left. I really don’t know. No one knows except for Tony Khan and Cody Rhodes.
“But he wasn’t happy in AEW, so he’s going to WWE, or be a stay-at-home dad, or do TV shows or whatever it is he’ll do.
“I honestly think, in a few years, he’ll look back and think, ‘I had it pretty good in AEW. Maybe I should have stuck around.’ But you can’t think that way. Guys come and go all the time. That’s the business.”
Chris Jericho is well aware of this, having taken time away from WWE on multiple occasions over his career with the business.
His last time leaving would see him join AEW, although he has maintained solid relations with WWE throughout his career.
Nobody knows what will happen next for Cody Rhodes in professional wrestling. A WWE comeback seems to be in the cards.
There have also been reports that Rhodes may take over as CEO of Ring of Honor, which AEW owner Tony Khan just purchased.
Rhodes has aspired to develop a legacy comparable to his father’s, which involves working as a booker as well as a wrestler.
His departure from AEW was perhaps owing to Tony Khan taking over booking tasks in the organization, which hampered Rhodes’ ability to carry out his goal.
Allowing Rhodes to have some say in Ring of Honor, which still has a lot of promise, might be a wise move for Rhodes and Khan.
