"I learned from him"- 18-year wrestling veteran credits Cody Rhodes for his success outside WWE

Cody Rhodes in WWE always felt like a story of what could have been. He had the pedigree, the ability, and the mentors, but the grandson of a plumber seemed forever tethered to the lower midcard before his 2016 departure.

The half-decade since has seen the American Nightmare take the independent circuit by storm and eventually return to national television with AEW, a promotion he helped found with Tony Khan and the Elite.

Rhodes has crafted a template of success for those in a similar situation, as has been recognized by current NWA World Heavyweight Champion Matt Cardona.

Cardona responded to a Twitter user praising his post-WWE run, expressing pride at the strides Cody made to improve not only his own career but the state of wrestling altogether.

Much like Cody Rhodes before him, Matt Cardona had an underwhelming WWE career despite capturing the Intercontinental, United States and tag team titles. He has since evolved into an independent wrestling rockstar, winning championship titles with GCW, NWA, AIW, and IMPACT Wrestling.

Matt Cardona made his AEW debut alongside Cody Rhodes

A far cry from the Zack Ryder persona he donned in WWE, Matt Cardona has transformed into one of the biggest stars on the independent circuit. Following his WWE departure, Cardona made his return to wrestling with AEW. He appeared as an ally for Cody during his feud with Brodie Lee and the Dark Order.

They would tag together against John Silver and Alex Reynolds, securing the win on Dynamite. The pair teamed again alongside Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall and Scorpio Sky at All Out 2020 against Brodie Lee, Colt Cabana, Stu Grayson and Evil Uno.

Despite winning on both occasions, Cardona was never announced as officially signing with the company, leaving his star to grow outside of the two North American heavyweights.