Why Cody Rhodes Left WWE In 2016, Explained
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While Cody Rhodes made his grand return to WWE earlier this year, wrestling as a mystery opponent for Seth Rollins during WrestleMania 38, and putting on one of the best matches of the year in the process, it was the first time the WWE Universe saw Cody since the Spring of 2016. Following WrestleMania 32, while wrestling as Stardust, Cody would request his release from the Sports Entertainment giant, with it being granted in May. After his exit from the company, he would spend six years wrestling across the world and becoming one of the hottest stars before returning home to WWE. But why did he leave in the first place?
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Creative Frustrations Led To Cody Rhodes Asking For His WWE Release
Despite being seen as a major player in both AEW and WWE nowadays, Cody Rhodes was not always given that presentation. In fact, it was through WWE's creative and booking of the generational superstar that led him to eventually walking away from the company in the first place. Being placed into the Stardust character, Cody would portray his own variation of the Goldust gimmick that his brother, Dustin, was actively using in WWE at the time as well. While it would allow Rhodes to show a new side of his personality, and would also give way to an extremely memorable entrance theme, Stardust was doomed to be stuck in the midcard and below.
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During this run, his highest profile match would be a tag-team match at SummerSlam that saw he and Wade Barrett teaming against Neville and actor Stephen Amell. This was just a piece of Cody's real life friendship with Amell, who would later briefly join Bullet Club and wrestle Christopher Daniels at All In. The following year, Cody would have an on-screen feud with his brother, leading to Goldust vs Stardust in a feud that had a lot of potential, though bad booking killed it quickly. Following WrestleMania 32, Cody would become overwhelmingly frustrated with his booking and the creative process in WWE, asking for and being granted his release.
Upon Leaving, Cody Rhodes Became One Of The Hottest Stars Outside WWE
Following his exit from WWE, Cody would begin rehabbing his image immediately with full creative freedom now on his side. Dropping a now infamous picture of a list of wrestlers he wanted to face, Cody would name Pat Buck, Dalton Castle, Chris Hero, the Young Bucks, Katsuyori Shibata, and Kurt Angle as just a few names that he wanted to get in the ring with. Over the next few years, he would be able to knock a lot of them off of his list, while also raising his stock in the process. By the end of the year, Cody would join Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling, making quite the name for himself quickly.
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Cody would then make his debut for New Japan at Wrestle Kingdom in January 2017, defeating Juice Robinson, before going onto win the ROH World Championship later that year. He would also become a new member of Bullet Club in Japan, representing the group in ROH as well, which is where he would meet and align with fellow members of The Elite, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, and The Young Bucks.
Following Runs In NJPW and ROH, Cody Rhodes Would Help Create AEW
Through his newfound friendship with The Elite thanks to his work in both New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor, Cody would actively feature on the Being The Elite YouTube show and would be a key factor in the group deciding to create and run the All In PPV event in 2018. This show would feature talents from across the wrestling industry outside WWE and would go down as the biggest independent wrestling show of all time. This PPV would also serve as a preview for what was to come just a year later, as All Elite Wrestling was formed as a new alternative wrestling product to WWE.
Launching in 2019, AEW saw Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks sign with the company as wrestlers and Executive Vice Presidents, as they were the founders of the young company alongside Tony Khan. Cody would be the first of this group to leave the company, as he would not re-sign with AEW in early 2022 due to personal reasons, opting to return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 where he would defeat Seth Rollins on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
