Is Cody Rhodes retiring from WWE?

Former Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has found much success since returning to the Stamford-based promotion in 2022. After securing several high-profile wins as champion, he lost the gold to John Cena at WrestleMania 41 earlier this year. Rhodes' recent post on X has sparked a debate about his future as an in-ring performer.

The American Nightmare has earned a championship shot against the Last Real Champion at SummerSlam 2025. He won the King of the Ring Tournament by defeating his former mentor, Randy Orton, at Night of Champions to secure the title match. Before the much-awaited bout, Rhodes thanked his fans on X for supporting him and expressed that he was excited for his future.

Following Rhodes’ cryptic tweet, fans are worried about whether The American Nightmare is retiring from WWE. The answer is no; the 40-year-old superstar is one of the biggest names in World Wrestling Entertainment today and is set to face John Cena in a huge match next month. Hence, he has no plans to retire from in-ring action anytime soon.

It's unclear what Rhodes meant with his post. Many fans feel it could be regarding Cody Rhodes' big break in Hollywood. For those unaware, Rhodes will star in Street Fighter and will likely go on hiatus to shoot the movie later this year.

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Veteran discussed Cody Rhodes' potential character change in WWE

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda Wrestling, veteran journalist Bill Apter pointed out a major potential change in Cody Rhodes’ persona. He highlighted how Rhodes didn't hesitate to use an exposed turnbuckle to take down Randy Orton at Night of Champions.

Apter also pointed out how the company used the match's climax to lay the foundation for The American Nightmare’s potential heel turn.

"This is the first start of Cody Rhodes' slow heel turn. He was excellent in his role with so much anger against Randy Orton. He held nothing back. He didn't care what he had to do to win. The finish was something that we thought Randy Orton was going to win, and Cody used what Randy did to his advantage. But I thought out of a one to 10 being the best match, this was close to a 20," Apter said.

It will be interesting to see what plans the creative team has for Cody Rhodes in the coming weeks and whether he will regain the Undisputed WWE Title at SummerSlam 2025.