"That's just how wrestling fans are" - 48-year-old legend predicts grim future for Cody Rhodes upon WWE return
Cody Rhodes went from being one of the biggest names in AEW to now seemingly being positioned to dethrone Roman Reigns. Despite this, Matt Hardy believes Cody will end up facing the same issues he had in AEW.
While The American Nightmare has been far more warmly received in WWE, shortly before leaving AEW, he was met with resounding boos despite trying to win over the crowd. The response was widely covered, with many questioning why Cody Rhodes simply didn't turn heel.
Speaking on the recent Extreme Life with Matt Hardy, the 48-year-old speculated how he believes that Rhodes will eventually be met with the same response in WWE:
"He was just a very polarizing figure. He’ll probably end up at some point – he had that new honeymoon phase at WWE, but once he gets back and he gets that huge babyface push and ultimately ends up being the guy who once again gets that as well, that’s just how wrestling fans are. Nothing can be pushed for too long without fans half-a** turning on it." (01:14:25 onward).
@CodyRhodes ends the show to a roar of boos to send the fans home happy @AEW @AEWonTNT #AEWDynamite https://t.co/CENbiC1zWq
Despite his assessment, Matt Hardy believes that Cody Rhodes will eventually return to dethrone Roman Reigns.
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Eric Bischoff believes that Cody Rhodes' decision to leave AEW wasn't just because of financial reasons
The American Nightmare clearly has far bigger aspirations for his future as a wrestler, which is something he made clear shortly after debuting in WWE. Despite this, many fans believe he left AEW simply for a bigger paycheck.
Cody Rhodes returning at Wrestlemania 38 is definitely my favorite moment of 2022. https://t.co/9kRQKGD1FF
During an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Eric Bischoff speculated why he strongly believes that money wasn't the leading reason for Cody Rhodes leaving AEW:
"I'm sure money was a factor, always is, but there was something more to it than money. And I'd like to know what that is someday. Something happened there, and I would imagine it was just creative frustration," he added. (02:24 onward)
It remains to be seen if Rhodes will be the one to dethrone Roman Reigns or if he'll simply become lost in the shuffle like so many other talented WWE stars. Could the American Nightmare find himself back in AEW as a result? Only time will tell.