Cody Rhodes Reveals Meeting with Vince McMahon About Return to WWE

Cody Rhodes is back in WWE with unfinished business.

Rhodes ended his six-year absence from WWE on Saturday at WrestleMania 38, defeating Seth Rollins in what became the worst-kept secret in wrestling. The American Nightmare had been widely expected to land in WWE since announcing his departure from All Elite Wrestling—a move that shocked many given Rhodes' seeming commitment to making AEW the top wrestling promotion in the United States.

As Rhodes told The Ringer Wrestling Show, however, his desire to finish what he started won him over in his return to WWE. Rhodes said Vince McMahon also gave him the vindication he was seeking in negotiations. 

“One of the most special parts of it was Bruce [Prichard] and the chairman himself, Vince, flew down to meet me," Rhodes said (around the five-minute mark). “If that meeting had not led to anything, had it just been a conversation about wrestling or sports entertainment ... it would been great closure on 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.’

"I remember saying, ‘I have to be me. It has to be Kingdom [theme music], it has to be the American Nightmare.’ To hear Vince say, ‘Well, it’s not broke; that’s what we’re buying.’ Again, just vindication. It felt good.

"You spend all this time trying to prove people wrong who doubted you and prove people right who were on board with you. But in 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.”

The reality of the situation: Rhodes wants to be WWE champion, the lone feat his father never accomplished in a wrestling ring. Even as Rhodes seemingly sought to tear down WWE, his presentation in AEW always felt like its own thing—arguably the most "WWE" part of the AEW product.

WWE is lacking in credible, charismatic babyfaces; Rhodes should instantly shoot to the top of the card and compete at least as one the same level as a Drew McIntyre. AEW's product has been chugging right along without Rhodes and seems no worse for wear.

This appears to be one of those rare situations where everybody wins and no one leaves with any hurt feelings.