"I didn't want to be a gatekeeper" – Cody Rhodes sheds light on why he left AEW

Cody Rhodes recently went into more detail about why he chose to leave AEW and rejoin WWE.

In 2022, Rhodes has been the talk of the wrestling world. From revealing that he was working in AEW without a contract, to officially leaving the company he helped build and eventually appearing at WrestleMania 38, Rhodes has lately been the topic of discussion.

Having already touched upon some of the reasons he left AEW, Rhodes spoke to Stone Cold Steve Austin on Broken Skull Sessions. He told Austin what led him to AEW: he didn't want to be a "gatekeeper."

"The bottom line is that, it was my baby, it's growing up and people are having fun and it doesn't need me. Why I thought, it didn't need me...I'm not being totally honest, maybe it did need me, but here's what I needed; I did not want to be a gatekeeper wrestler. I did not want to be, 'This is Cody's thing, AEW.' Some people look at it that way, not everybody does. 'First program, they wrestle Cody, then they do Chris (Jericho's) podcast.' There's a whole meme about it. I didn't want to be a gatekeeper."

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Cody Rhodes will be in action this Sunday at WrestleMania Backlash

After a departure that resembled a rather civil break-up, both AEW and Cody Rhodes seem to be doing well on their respective paths. AEW is gearing up for a huge summer of events, including Double or Nothing, Forbidden Door, and All Out, whereas Cody will hope to put on more great matches in WWE.

Cody Rhodes will appear this Sunday at the WrestleMania Backlash premium live event. He'll face Seth Rollins in a rematch from WrestleMania 38, where Rhodes was victorious.

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