Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and WWE executive Bruce Prichard have opened up about the behind-the-scenes talks that brought Rhodes back to WWE in 2022, a move that reshaped the wrestling landscape. Speaking on the latest episode of the So What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Rhodes and Prichard detailed their first meeting and the emotional moment that convinced Rhodes to “come home.”
According to Prichard, the meeting with Rhodes, alongside Vince McMahon, was direct and heartfelt. “Our anticipation and our expectation, frankly, was one of, ‘Hey, man, Cody, we want you to come home,’” Prichard said. “The door’s open and we’re glad you went away and did what you did, we’re very happy for you. We feel that the best place for you is back home. We weren’t leaving without, at least, a handshake agreement.”
For Rhodes, who had just departed AEW, the encounter was overwhelming. “Even though I was really well structured and prepared and had things I wanted to talk about… it hit me like a car wreck,” he admitted. “Once I got out of that room, I became a little kid again. And as a little kid, I remember asking you [Bruce], what do I do? And you said, ‘I think you know what you should do.’”
Rhodes revealed that the financial offer was so strong that he believes his legendary father, Dusty Rhodes, would have accepted it instantly. The weight of the decision sank in when he phoned his wife, Brandi, to share that their plans had suddenly changed. “When you call your spouse, when you call your wife, and you’re like, ‘Hey, something happened,’ cause that wasn’t the plan,” he recalled.
Cody’s return was first reported in March 2022 and officially came to fruition at WrestleMania 38, where he shocked fans as the mystery opponent for Seth Rollins.
The storyline built around his comeback was centered on finishing “The American Dream’s story” by capturing the one championship Dusty never held—an achievement Cody finally realized at WrestleMania 40.
Fans can check out the complete podcast below:
