Cody Rhodes stunned the world when he returned to WWE at WrestleMania but now he has revealed a gesture by Dan Lambert helped him decide to go back.
Cody Rhodes became WWE’s prodigal son when he returned to the company he famously quit in 2016 at WrestleMania 38 to face Seth ‘Freaking’ Rollins. The American Nightmare picked up the victory on his first night back in the company but will face Rollins once again at WrestleMania Backlash in May.
Many fans were surprised by Rhodes’ decision given the animosity he held towards WWE and the fact that he was an integral part of helping build AEW. But now speaking on the Out of Character podcast, Cody Rhodes revealed that it was a gesture by AEW’s Dan Lambert that helped convince him to return to his former employer and continue his quest to become WWE Champion:
“Dan Lambert handed me the WWWF Championship, he handed me the title that my dad is holding in that picture from 1977, he handed it to me and in that moment, I felt like that decision was almost made for me. I don’t know if he inadvertently caused this industry-changing moment but there were times when it was, this is what has to happen.”
“This is what has to happen and what needs to happen. I think we did it with respect and love and it feels like the casual fans, wrestling fans, sports entertainment fans, it feels like the fans get it and that’s really touching. I don’t know how long the honeymoon phase will last but we’re on the beach right now and really truly enjoying it.”
During his appearance on the podcast, Cody Rhodes also discussed his interaction with Triple H at WrestleMania and says he still feels the anger that he felt when he left WWE in 2016.