“We Didn’t Even Know He’d Signed!” — Seth Rollins Drops Bombshell Detail on Cody Rhodes’ Shocking WWE Return
Cody Rhodes didn’t just return to WWE — he rewrote the rulebook on how a comeback should feel.
Long before the fireworks at WrestleMania 38, “The American Nightmare” took a road almost no one believed would lead him back to the top. Cody walked away from WWE, betting on himself when critics said he was making the biggest mistake of his career. Instead of fading away, he reinvented himself on the independent scene, sharpening his character and proving he was far more than just potential.
That gamble paid off in historic fashion.
Cody went on to become one of the founding pillars of All Elite Wrestling alongside Tony Khan and The Young Bucks, quickly emerging as the face of the new promotion. For many fans and insiders, AEW felt like his forever home. But once again, Cody shocked the wrestling world — walking away at the height of his fame when he sensed the momentum slipping.
And then came the moment no one saw coming.
Seth Rollins: “It Was Kept That Secret”
Speaking on the latest episode of Games with Names, Seth Rollins revealed just how tightly WWE guarded Cody Rhodes’ return — even from top stars.
Rollins admitted he didn’t know for sure that Cody was coming back until weeks before WrestleMania.
“He had been gone for six years,” Rollins said. “I wrestled Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, and after that there were conversations about matches. But honestly? I didn’t know for sure about Cody until around mid-March.”
That’s not all.
According to “The Visionary,” the secrecy ran so deep that even days before the show, doubts lingered backstage.
“Even up until about two weeks before, I remember thinking, ‘Do we actually have his signature on paper? Is this really happening?’” Rollins revealed. “It was top secret. Very few people knew.”
A WrestleMania Moment for the Ages
When Cody’s music finally hit at WrestleMania 38, the reaction said it all. The gamble, the reinvention, the departure from AEW — everything led to that unforgettable moment. Fans erupted. History was made.
Looking back now, Cody Rhodes’ WWE return stands as one of the smartest and most successful moves of the modern wrestling era — and thanks to Seth Rollins, we now know just how close it came to remaining a secret until the very last second.
