Cody Rhodes talks about his AEW departure. He says he felt lack of recognition for what he built with his friends. “The best revenge is success,” he specifies. I walk to challenge John Cena for the indisputable WWE championship in Summerslam 2025, Bill Simmons launches a brief advance of his next interview in which we listen to the statements we read below.
► In the words of Cody Rhodes
“There is clearly resentment, but there is also respect and love. In the end, as I see it is: if I ever felt disrespected in WWE, it's one thing. That is an already built company … they are the Yankees, the badge of all this. If I ever felt it was just a number on a sheet, maybe.
But feel disrespected in something I built with my friends. That we build. Feeling disrespected there, I wasn't going to tolerate that. Brandi and I, both … I am very fortunate to have it. It was one of those moments in which we said: 'to hell. I did much more here than you believe, and you will notice as soon as I go through the door. '
I don't believe in cold and treacherous revenge. The best revenge in the world is success. I felt we had something wonderful. Something great. A huge project, potentially, with what I was doing as American Nightmare – either as a villain, as a hero or as something intermediate.
We were sitting on magic. If I was not going to do it at home that, literally, I built next to Matt, Nick and Kenny, then friend … I was going to the other side.”
“There’s clearly bad blood, but there’s also clearly respect and love.”
Cody Rhodes discusses what led to his departure from AEW. pic.twitter.com/U8RYZ90rHD
— The Ringer (@ringer) July 31, 2025
