Cody Rhodes revealed he initially planned to reject the offer to return to WWE, a decision that was ultimately reversed after a pivotal conversation with Executive Director Bruce Prichard. Speaking on Prichard’s What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Rhodes recounted that after receiving a significant offer, the reality of the situation hit him “like a car wreck.” He described asking the WWE executive for guidance on what he should do, a moment that proved crucial in his decision-making process.
Rhodes shared the specific exchange that solidified his choice to come back. “So I asked you what I should do, and what you said to me was the best answer, but not the best answer. You said, I think you know what you should do. And I thought, yeah,” Rhodes explained. He recalled that returning wasn’t his original plan, but Prichard’s response made it clear that facing Seth Rollins at WrestleMania, with his music and identity intact, was the only path forward.
While that fateful conversation with Prichard set his 2022 return in motion, the path Rhodes has walked since stepping back into a WWE ring has been anything but simple.
Currently, Rhodes is on a hiatus from WWE programming to film his role as Guile in the upcoming Street Fighter movie. Filming for the project, which also features Roman Reigns as the character Akuma, began in Australia on September 2 and is scheduled to conclude by September 20.
To facilitate his time away, a storyline was created where Rhodes suffered a kayfabe head injury. The injury angle was executed on the August 8 edition of SmackDown, when Drew McIntyre attacked Rhodes with a Claymore kick following their tag team match. Since the attack, McIntyre has used Rhodes’ real-life movie commitment in his on-screen promos to taunt the absent Undisputed WWE Champion.
This ongoing feud sets up an anticipated championship clash upon Rhodes’ return. He is advertised for the October 3 episode of SmackDown, though it is anticipated he will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against McIntyre at the Wrestlepalooza event later this month.