Cody Rhodes is the current Undisputed Champion of WWE, but he left the company in 2016, a time when he could have made it big if he had continued. But “The American Nightmare” left WWE on a bitter note that time because of his disappointment. However, WWE veteran Randy Orton believes that it was a brave move.
Recently, Orton appeared on Cody Rhodes’ podcast ‘What Do You Wanna Talk About?’ and acknowledged that Cody leaving WWE was a brave move and he could not have done it.
Orton praised Rhodes’ decision to quit
The Viper applauded Cody Rhodes and stated that he is proud of him because it took a lot of courage for “The American Nightmare” to leave and then start everything from scratch. “You were Cody f******g Rhodes, but what you did, I could never have done that. So, when I say I’m proud of you, like I legitimately mean it,” said Orton.
Cody Rhodes made his WWE television debut in 2007 and teamed up with Hardcore Holly. Then he was assigned under Randy Orton, who was working under the Legacy group with Ted DiBiase. Cody became the Intercontinental champion in 2011 and also got a chance to be in a match with Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 27. Everything seemed to go well for him, until he got the Stardust gimmick.
Two years were very difficult for Cody Rhodes
The Stardust character with all that face paint and weird behavior made Cody Rhodes depressed and the time between 2014 and 2016 was extremely difficult for him. Rhodes got so fed up that he eventually quit WWE by 2016. He didn’t even wait for the contract to expire and announced his departure on social media. Cody spent the next two years exploring himself and by 2019, he had reached another level. Cody Rhodes, along with Tony Khan, formed AEW and became the Vice President of the company. However, he had a feud with Tony Khan in 2022 that led him to return to WWE.
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Cody Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38, where he won his first match against Seth Rollins. The next two years proved to be great for “The American Nightmare,” as he won two back-to-back Royal Rumble events and headlined two WrestleManias. This year’s WrestleMania 41 saw Cody finish his story as he dethroned Roman Reigns and became the Undisputed Champion. Rhodes is currently the face of WWE and one of the biggest wrestling superstars.
