How Vince McMahon Reacted To Cody Rhodes Keeping His AEW Persona
In an interview with The Ringer shortly after his victory over Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38, Cody Rhodes detailed the process that led to his comeback to WWE after six years.
Rhodes revealed WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and WWE Senior VP Bruce Prichard gave him his flowers for his involvement in the formation of AEW.
“One of the most special parts of it was Bruce and Vince flew down to meet me,” Rhodes revealed. “If that meeting had not led to anything, if it was just a conversation about wrestling or sports entertainment, it would been great closure for the last loop – because I left here on the worst of terms. I talked all the smack on earth – but none of it mattered. It was just a case of [Vince] telling me, ‘you went out and did it.’”
Rhodes also confirmed earlier reports that several high-placed officials in WWE were adamant about Cody Rhodes maintaining his AEW ring gear, theme music, pyro and persona.
“I remember saying, ‘I have to be me. It has to be Kingdom [theme music], it has to be the American Nightmare, all of it.’ To hear Vince say, ‘well, it’s not broke, that’s what we’re buying’ felt like vindication. It felt so good.
“You spend all this time trying to prove people wrong who doubted you, prove people right who were on board with you – but at that moment, it was just closure on the first loop, and excitement for what’s next. I’m going to talk about it on RAW.”
Rhodes emphasized he’s back to WWE to carry out unfinished business for his family.
“”But it’s pretty clear what I came back to do,” Rhodes said. “There’s unfinished business for my family, and something we never got. And I want to be the one to get it.”
Speaking further on his meeting with WWE officials, Rhodes referred to WWE President Nick Khan as the nicest guy he’s ever met.
“He is the nicest guy I’ve ever met in my life,” Rhodes said of Khan. “It was so nice to have him, the Chairman and Bruce all come in [to meet me]. The courtship felt so good, it really did.”
