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Cody Rhodes left AEW in 2022 to rejoin WWE. This move brought a seismic shift in the world of professional wrestling, arguably changing the industry forever. Recently, The American Nightmare has been making headlines for his remarks about All Elite Wrestling. Meanwhile, a wrestling legend has offered a bold response to those comments.
In a recent interview, Rhodes said that he felt disrespected in the company that he built with his friends. While he did not name anybody, The Prodigal Son said the disregard was the reason behind his exit from All Elite Wrestling. However, wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell has a different take on this situation.
On Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the veteran claimed that leaving AEW was always Rhodes' plan. The 75-year-old added that The American Nightmare's strategy was to establish himself as a top star in AEW with the ultimate goal of catching WWE’s attention and then making a grand return to the company.
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Mantell felt the sole reason Rhodes left All Elite Wrestling was that he got a good, lucrative deal from the sports entertainment juggernaut.
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"Well, I'll tell you why he left. He got a good deal with WWE, and that's what was his plan all along. To go to AEW, get pushed like a big star, which he did, and eventually make his way back to uh WWE. Well, if it's not about money, that's silly. It really is. If he got disrespected because of a personal issue, that's his problem," Mantell said. [From 1:39:00 to 1:39:54]
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The veteran said that if there had been any bad blood between Rhodes and other AEW executives, leaving the company would have been a rash move on The American Nightmare's part.
Dutch Mantell believes Cody Rhodes violated his contract before leaving AEW
Cody Rhodes’ departure from AEW remains a hot topic in the world of professional wrestling. While some concrete details about the move have been made public, wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell has shared some interesting remarks regarding Rhodes’ exit.
On Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the former WWE manager claimed that Cody Rhodes violated his AEW contract before his exit. The 75-year-old speculated that The American Nightmare was in talks with former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon even before returning to the company.
"I think he was talking to Vince even though he's not supposed to. You know, if they knew that that's to be a that's a violation of your contract. But I think he was talking to Vince," Mantell said.
Mantell said that it was a violation of Cody Rhodes' AEW contract. That said, despite all the criticism for leaving All Elite Wrestling, Rhodes went on to make history after joining WWE. He fulfilled his dream of becoming the Undisputed WWE Champion in 2024.
If you use quotes from here, please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcription.
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