Cody Rhodes Opens Up About His Unforgettable Rise to the Top of WWE
Cody Rhodes’ journey to becoming the Undisputed WWE Champion has been anything but ordinary. In fact, the turning point of his career came when he walked away from WWE years ago—a move that shocked fans and insiders who believed leaving the world’s biggest wrestling company was a massive gamble.
But Cody needed that risk. He needed time outside WWE to shape “The American Nightmare” into the global star he always believed he could become. His work across the independent scene and later in AEW proved exactly that. By the time he returned to WWE in 2022, he wasn’t the same young talent the company once struggled to utilize—he was sharper, more confident, and fully formed.
And WWE instantly felt it.
Rhodes quickly ascended the ranks, ultimately defeating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL in a historic moment that cemented him as the new face of the company. Since then, he’s remained one of WWE’s biggest attractions, headlining WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas against John Cena and capturing world championship gold once again at SummerSlam.
In a recent conversation with comedian Bert Kreischer on his podcast, Cody reflected on how drastically things have changed during his rise:
“On my way to the WWE Championship, I felt like the whole industry was behind me—every company, every indie I’d ever worked for, every corner of the world. People were reaching out every day, watching every segment, cheering on the climb.”
But the moment he officially became the polished, spotlight-ready top star that WWE promotes today—what some call “corporate Cody”—things shifted.
“Once it happened… once I became a two-time WWE Champion and was presented as one of the faces of the company, the messages just stopped. I don’t hear from any of them.”
It’s a brutally honest look at the pressure, loneliness, and responsibility that come with reaching the summit of the wrestling world—something only a handful of stars ever truly experience.
Cody Rhodes’ rise wasn’t just amazing. It was a reinvention, a risk that paid off, and a reminder that sometimes you have to step away to finally become who you were always meant to be.
