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Cody Rhodes said he left AEW because he and company president Tony Khan could not move past a personal matter. He never disclosed what it was. Rhodes also said he wanted to keep growing beyond his AEW role and pursue another shot at the WWE ambition he had held since childhood. He specifically rejected claims that money or creative control caused the split.
What Cody Rhodes said about leaving AEW
When Rhodes returned to WWE in April 2022, he addressed the rumors that had circulated during the two months after his AEW departure. In an interview with Variety, as reported by ComicBook.com on April 2, 2022, he said theories about money and creative control had been presented as fact, but were not the reason he left.
His explanation was personal and deliberately limited: “It was a personal matter and we couldn’t move past it.” Rhodes did not identify the issue, so its specifics remain unknown. He also pushed back on the idea that a sensational backstage story would eventually emerge, saying there was “no nefarious tale” to tell.
Why he wanted a change
Rhodes described career goals alongside the private disagreement. In an April 11, 2022 interview with Ariel Helwani for BT Sport, reported by Wrestling Inc., he said he did not want to become an AEW “gatekeeper” and wanted to keep expanding the American Nightmare character. He also said he felt he had more to do and that he and Khan were drifting apart.
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Rhodes had another opportunity to pursue his dream in WWE. In a later account of his decision on Busted Open Radio, reported by Fightful on April 11, 2022, he recalled deciding to leave while at the Loews Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois. He described leaving AEW as emotionally difficult, but choosing to pursue his wrestling goal as easy.
What the public statements do—and do not—show
AEW announced Cody and Brandi Rhodes’s departure on February 15, 2022. Their announcement and the accompanying statements were appreciative, not a disclosure of the cause. Cody thanked Khan, Brandi, colleagues, fans and people involved in AEW’s community outreach. Khan called the couple “integral to the launch of All Elite Wrestling” and wished them well. CBS Sports reported the announcement and statements that day.
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Those expressions of respect can coexist with Rhodes’s account that he and Khan could not get past a personal matter. The public record does not establish what that matter was. It also does not support turning the separation into a feud, or treating rumors about pay or creative control as fact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When Rhodes returned to WWE
Rhodes returned at WrestleMania 38 on April 2, 2022, defeating Seth Rollins, after six years away from WWE. WWE announced his return to Monday Night Raw on April 4. WWE’s announcement provides the return details.
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- Each figure is detailed with TrueFX technology for life-like faces and added collectability!
- Fans can recreate signature moves with 14 points of articulation for dynamic posing!
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The timing makes the move look like a direct transition from AEW to WWE, but the reason Rhodes gave was not simply a choice between promotions: it combined an undisclosed personal impasse with his desire to pursue a long-held career goal and keep developing his character.
