PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

 
 

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE ON CODY RHODES' WWE RETURN, DETAILS ON NEW PROJECT OUTSIDE OF WRESTLING

By Mike Johnson on 2022-04-03 11:21:00

The following press release was issued by Cody Rhodes' management team:

Cody Rhodes returns to WWE, inks multi-year deal;

Set to Executive Produce his late father’s A&E ‘Biography: WWE Legends’ documentary

The most sought-after free agent in professional wrestling, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, has landed back at WWE, the company where he began his career. Saturday night, in front of a massive crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Rhodes returned in a main event match with multi-time former WWE Champion Seth Rollins. Rhodes has inked a multi-year deal with the company. 

Rhodes began his wrestling career with WWE developmental territory OVW and went on to compete with WWE for a decade before his departure in 2016. Over the past six years, Rhodes has wrestled all over the world including in Japan, England, Mexico, and Canada. In 2018, Rhodes was named Wrestler of the Year by Sports Illustrated. During his first run with WWE, Rhodes became a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and won six tag team championships (three World Tag Team Championships and three WWE Tag Team Championships). During his time away from WWE, Rhodes won many top championships including the Ring of Honor World Champion, IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion, and most recently the TNT Championship on three separate occasions. His father, the legendary “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, is a WWE Hall of Famer and both Cody and Dusty won NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship titles making them the first father/son combination to win the title.   

“When you throw something away - sometimes it gets sent back. I spent the last 6 years training my body and my mind to be the best professional wrestler in the world. I got the chance to take the fans with me on the ride, and now we are reaching full throttle. I want what has eluded the Rhodes’ family since 1977 in Madison Square Garden. For my family, my fans, and for me,” said Rhodes, “I want to thank Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, and Bruce Prichard for the opportunity, and I intend to be “all in” for WWE and their wonderful WWE universe.” 

 As part of his return, Rhodes has signed on to Executive Produce and appear on the A&E ‘Biography: WWE Legends’ series as one of the partnership’s headlining documentaries about his late father, Dusty Rhodes. It was recently announced that A&E and WWE are expanding their original programming partnership in a multi-year deal calling for more wrestler-themed episodes of Biography as well as new series WWE Rivals. Programming produced via the partnership will air exclusively on A&E linear and digital platforms and will be distributed worldwide by parent company A+E Networks.

 Outside of wrestling, Rhodes is developing the un-scripted series, ‘American Spirit,’ that taps into the booming world of liquor, where he serves as its host and producer. On a quest to curate the ultimate personal liquor collection for his Nightmare Bar, Cody will lead the viewers on a hunt for priceless vintage bottles gathering dust in the attics and basements across America — a never-ending journey with potential to extend far beyond our borders. Makers, collectors, resellers and historians of American whiskey and other spirits, Ed Bley and Brad Bonds, will serve as Cody’s guides. Specialists in the field, they are real life best friends and true bourbon enthusiasts. The show was created by Graham Patrick Martin and Jeremy O’Keefe under their Shell Rd. banner alongside Matt O’Keefe.

Rhodes was seen earlier this year as a celebrity judge alongside T-Pain, Rosario Dawson and Jennifer Nettles on TBS’s extreme talent competition show ‘The Go-Big Show.’ Last year, Rhodes starred in the unscripted series ‘Rhodes To The Top,’ with his wife and fellow wrestler Brandi.  The show aired on TNT and followed the couple’s journey into parenthood while navigating their busy lives. He also co-owns a top-of-the-line profession wrestling school and fitness school, The Nightmare Factory, in Norcross, GA (outside Atlanta).

 Rhodes is represented by Hyperion and Spanos Law.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!