In a preview clip from an upcoming episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” former WWE Champion Cody Rhodes briefly addressed his departure from AEW, describing his feelings toward the company as a complex mix of “bad blood, respect, and love.”
In the 73-second teaser, Rhodes responds to an off-camera question by saying, “There’s clearly bad blood, but there’s also clearly respect and love.”
He went on to draw a comparison between WWE and AEW, noting that being disrespected in WWE is one thing — “an institution like the New York Yankees,” where talent can feel like just a number. But, he said, being disrespected at AEW — a company he helped build — was something he couldn’t accept.
You can check out his full comments below:
“There’s clearly bad blood, but there’s also clearly respect and love. In the end, the way I see it is, if I felt disrespected ever at WWE, that’s one thing. That’s a company that was built…that’s the Yankees. That’s the flagship of it all. If I ever felt (at WWE) that I was a number on a sheet, maybe, but feeling disrespected at something I built with my friends. That we built. Feeling disrespected there, I wouldn’t stand for it. Brandi and I both, I’m so blessed to have her. It was one of those where it was, f**k it. ‘I did way more here than you think, and you’re going to find out the moment I’m out the door.’ I don’t believe in the cold-hearted back-stabbing type of revenge. The greatest revenge on Earth is success. I felt like we were sitting on something wonderful. Something great. A huge, potentially, what I was doing with the American Nightmare, as a bad guy, as a good guy, something in between. We’re sitting on some magic. If I’m not going to do it in the house that I literally, with Matt, Nick, and Kenny built, then buddy, I’m going elsewhere.”
Rhodes and his wife Brandi officially left AEW in early 2022.
“There’s clearly bad blood, but there’s also clearly respect and love.”
Cody Rhodes discusses what led to his departure from AEW. pic.twitter.com/U8RYZ90rHD
— The Ringer (@ringer) July 31, 2025
