Cody Rhodes on Leaving WWE in 2016 👀🤯

Before Cody Rhodes left WWE and became The American Nightmare and won the 2023 Royal Rumble to main event Wrestlemania, he was Stardust in WWE pre-2016 and felt like his career was stuck. He discussed getting Vince McMahon's attention and what was the moment he knew it was time to go.

This NotSam Wrestling podcast clip is from the exclusive podcast from September 2016.

@nightmarefamily

#codyrhodes #wwe #eliminationchamber #wwe #sportsentertainment #prowrestling #wrestling #podcast #notsam #samroberts #aew

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If he had just remained as Stardust, he could’ve done everything right. As soon as Dustin/Goldust retired, I could’ve seen Cody under that gimmick being released in less than six months. Creative would’ve had nothing for that character to do, and they would’ve done what they always did with characters like that: Either left him off TV for months on end and/or jobbed him out mercilessly to put over any low level wrestlers that complained they didn’t get enough wins on TV. Either way, Vince would’ve thrown up his hands after a short while and gave up on him and handed him his walking papers.

[MrSheckstr]

Part if me thinks he could have been Fin Balor and the demon, years ahead of its time. But what works for one wrestler, might not have worked for the other…..
Also when you compare it to Dustin and Golddust, there is a glaring difference….
I always viewed Gold Dust (and this was even before i realized it was Dustin) that the Gold Dust persona was something he put on to manipulate and confuse his opponent, while with Stardust i felt like is was an alter ego that Cody Roads escaped to as the result of trauma, or more darkly something that Dustin and manipulated him into

That’s what i was waiting for, the reveal that forcing the Stardust persona onto Cody was Dustin’s revenge
“Why did i do it Cody? Because growing up i was always reminded that even thou i was the first born, you were always put first in the family. Our father talked about hard times, but i had to dress up like a clown, just to eat Garbage, while you supped with a silver spoon

[LouSkunt]

It’s true but then given the rope to do his own thing in AEW he hung himsself