Cody Rhodes has discussed when he might hang up his wrestling tights for good, after appearing to be on the verge of calling it a career at AEW Homecoming.
As AEW returned to Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Rhodes went one on one with his menace in recent weeks, Malakai Black. Black shocked the wrestling world when he debuted at AEW Road Rager, kicking Rhodes and WWE Hall Of Famer Arn Anderson both squarely in the head.
Black made relatively short work of Rhodes, at one point even kicking him off the top rope sending him crashing through a table on the outside. Once back in the ring, Black floored him with his Black Mass spin kick before simply placing a foot on the former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion for the victory.
The first-ever TNT Champion spoke with Inside The Ropes’ very own Kenny McIntosh for issue 11 of Inside The Ropes Magazine, where he admitted he was considering stepping away from the ring when he reached 40, however he does note a recent addition to his family might cause him to reconsider:
“I hope I change my mind, too, because [my daughter] will be four years old by the time I retire, basically, and I don’t know if that’s good enough. I need her to . . . Like, eight years old, I could have a good match and then I think she could be good with it. But it all depends on if my back holds up.”
Following his loss to Black, an emotional Rhodes thanked the crowd and began intimating that he was ready to walk away as he took his boot off to leave in the ring. He only got as far as taking one-off though as a vicious Black returned to nail The American Nightmare in the back with a crutch.