When Cody Rhodes asked to leave WWE last month, there were mixed reviews on this news. No one seemed to be disputing Cody’s talent, but some critics were questioning if he did things the right way. Within his social media posts announcing that he had asked for his release, Cody had explained that while he was thankful for the opportunities that WWE had given him over the years, he thought he had deserved better storylines (e.g. moving on from being Stardust, competing at the top of the card) and not to be ignored by WWE creative staff; without naming names, he had directed criticism towards the inactivity of particular members of WWE’s creative teams.
Shortly after announcing his departure from WWE via Twitter on May 22, Cody posted a checklist on Twitter on May 28. That checklist, which Bad News Barrett humorously parodied, listed the talent that Cody hoped to work with on the indie circuit. The list contained a mix of talent from Ring Of Honor, TNA, Japan and the indies, showing Cody to be very aware of what’s going on outside of WWE.
So far, Cody has announced the following appearances:
– July 2 and 3 – Heroes & Villains Fan Fest – Meadowlands Exposition Center – Secaucus, NJ
– August 19 – EVOLVE 66 – MCW Arena – Joppa, MD
– August 26 – vs. Michael Bennett (with Maria and Brandi Rhodes ringside) – Wahconah Park – Pittsfield, MA
– August 27 – vs. Kurt Angle – Dutchess Stadium – Wappinger Falls, NY
– September 10 – vs. Pat Buck – Rahway Rec Center – Rahway, NJ
– October 15 – Legends Of The Ring signing – Crowne Plaza – Monroe, NJ
– November 19 and 20 – Heroes & Villains Fan Fest – Georgia World Congress Center – Atlanta, GA
He also posted a cryptic message about a PWG appearance, which didn’t have a date or opponent tied to it.
These actions show Cody to be absolutely be a man of his word. Whether or not he made that list before he began working on bookings, he is already confirmed to wrestle three people from that May 28 Twitter posting: Pat Buck, The Miracle, and Kurt Angle. The talent he is scheduled to face and the promotions he will be competing for are not in-line with what Cody has been doing for the past decade with WWE; Cody was signed by WWE fairly quickly after starting on the indies. Business risks aside, he will be taking risks as a performer. He will also presumably be switching off between being a babyface and a heel depending on where is appearing.
While other WWE talent that was released in May 2016 also took to Twitter and/or interviews to explain what they had planned to do in their post-WWE lives, I’m not sure if any of them were as vocal about continuing as a wrestler as Cody. The immensely-talented Damien Sandow, for example, mentioned taking some indie dates but having a “team” to push his acting career forward. Ariane Andrew (a.k.a. Cameron) also mentioned an acting career, naming her agent earlier today. But further smart of Cody was to maintain both wrestling-oriented Twitter and personal Twitter accounts, which will benefit him in case he ever decides to pursue another path.
All of that said, major praise is due to Cody Rhodes for being a great in-ring performer, a person with strong work ethic, and someone that does what they say they will do. Should he come back to WWE in the future — keeping in mind that he is a lot younger than a lot of the active roster — it will be as a more seasoned athlete that can have a strong match with anyone.
