76 Year Old Vince McMahon Worked Very Hard to Poach Cody Rhodes and Put the First Nail in AEW’s Coffin

After six long years, The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes made his return to the WWE. Cody Rhodes made his comeback at The Stupendous WrestleMania 38 as a mystery opponent for Seth Rollins. But can we imagine how did this happen? 

The last time when Cody Rhodes left the company in 2016 was because of creative differences, and he felt that he could have been utilized better. In his first stint with the company, Rhodes was known because of his father and WWE legend, Dusty Rhodes. 

Cody Rhodes didn’t want to be under his father’s shadow. So, the WWE owner Vince McMahon brought Cody as The American Nightmare this time.

Cody Rhodes saw the real side of Vince McMahon!

During an exclusive and latest interview with The Ringer Wrestling Show, Cody Rhodes revealed how he was approached to return to the WWE. Cody mentioned that Vince McMahon and WWE Executive Bruce Prichard kept their grudges aside to approach him.

Rhodes said, “One of the special parts of it was Bruce and the Chairman [Mr. McMahon] himself flew down to meet me. Had that meeting not led to anything, had it just been a conversation about wrestling, sports entertainment, so fun. Just a conversation about that; it would have been a great closure on the last loop. I left here on the worst of terms. I talked all the smack on earth, but none of it mattered.”

Watch This Story: WWE Superstars With The Highest Number of WrestleMania Matches

According to The American Nightmare, it did not end on good terms when he left WWE last time. Although, when Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard went to talk to him, they did not bother him with the past things. Instead, Mr. McMahon just wanted to bring back their WWE Superstar into the company.

For several months, the rival company AEW has been recruiting wrestlers whom the WWE has released. Vince McMahon never cared about the competition, but he had the last laugh on the rival company as he brought back Cody.

Mr. McMahon and Cody buried the hatchet to unite once again!

The American Nightmare served as an Executive Vice President with the AEW. So, this is an enormous blow for the AEW, as Mr. McMahon took away the most prominent card they had on the table.

In addition, Vince McMahon did not care how Rhodes left the company in 2016. Instead, Mr. McMahon wanted to get Cody on board by hook or crook, and he did it at the Grandest Stage of them All.

“I remember saying [to McMahon], ‘I’ve to be me. It has to be Kingdom. It has to be The American Nightmare.’ And to hear Vince say, ‘Well, it’s not broke. That’s what we’re buying.’ Just vindication. It felt good. You spend all the 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,” Cody added.

The WWE Owner Vince McMahon and Cody Rhodes found a middle ground for themselves. Even though they have had differences, everything worked out for the two parties.

‘Dashing’ Cody Rhodes also added that he has returned to complete his unfinished business in the WWE. However, he revealed little about his future plans in the WWE, as he plans to share more on the upcoming Monday Night Raw episode.

READ MORE: Cody Rhodes’ Emotional First Words After WWE Return at WrestleMania 38

Mr. McMahon had the first and final nail in AEW’s coffin. He welcomed home Cody Rhodes at The Stupendous WrestleMania 38 in style!