Cody Rhodes has clapped back at what he describes as a “disinformation campaign” from members of the wrestling media.
The situation around Cody Rhodes at the start of 2022 was unclear at best — or at least it was from the outside. It was reported that the American Nightmare was working without a contract in AEW, but it was expected that a new deal would be reached.
However, the longer things went on, the uncertainty grew. Eventually, in February, Rhodes announced that he and his wife Brandi had left the company he helped create. A little over a month later he was back in a WWE ring being given a heroes welcome at WrestleMania 38.
At the time of his departure from AEW, both Rhodes and Tony Khan said they wouldn’t publicly discuss details of what happened, only that there was no animosity on either side. This again, played into the whirlwind of speculation around the star.
Speaking in a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, Rhodes has now taken aim at the reporting of his exit and even called out Wade Keller by name, although he said he has “no heat” with the veteran journalist.
“But you mentioned taking pride in the executive element. So you were there when I was still running those meetings, I really loved it. But from an ego standpoint, from an optics standpoint, that was really cool. But I also really loved leading, and I just maybe wasn’t ready to fully lead at that point. And it didn’t rub everyone the right way, why is he running the production meeting? Why is this and that and then you know, your vision, Kenny’s vision, Matt and Nick’s vision, everyone’s visions, that one thing. But you know, Tony has a vision and this is his money, and then let’s see how that plays out. But that was a good time.
I’m glad you had a good experience because when we left there was this whole like disinformation campaign that Wade Keller put out, and I’m not even mad at Wade Keller no heat with Wade. But I could tell what was going on. Again, you didn’t talk to any real source. No, I was an executive, as a member of management. I was happy, wanted to help and took huge pride in us being a professional organisation and, and that shows amongst the roster, the locker room, my kids, the people I didn’t recruit, people I did recruit. Yeah, there was such a fog of misinformation of when I left that. It’s fun to see in the doc itself. You know, that wasn’t the case, it was just time.”
Cody Rhodes Reflects On Shot At CM Punk
In the lead-up to what would be his final match in AEW, Cody Rhodes cut a promo addressing not turning heel despite being booed, and his contractual situation, he took some jabs at WWE, pointed out that he was crashing through the so-called Forbidden Door before it was fashionable, and had actually gone out and done the things CM Punk named in his famous “pipe bomb” in 2011.
Reflecting on the promo elsewhere, Rhodes revealed he cleared his comments about Punk with the man himself ahead of going to the ring.
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