Cody Rhodes has offered a potential timeline for the end of his in-ring career, admitting that retirement could arrive sooner than some fans might expect.
The 41-year-old WWE Superstar recently reflected on what he learned from watching John Cena go through his retirement run. Rhodes particularly admired the sense of finality Cena brought to his farewell and explained that his own family will ultimately play a major role in determining when he steps away.
Asked what he learned from Cena’s retirement tour, Rhodes said:
“A lot,” Rhodes said when asked what he learned from Cena’s retirement tour. “But I’ll say, it probably will happen sooner than later. And I’m not giving you any type of spoiler: time goes by. Time goes by like this [quickly].”
Rhodes then provided a more specific indication of when he could see himself ending his career as an active wrestler.
“When my daughter is 11 years old, I’m not going to be falling down for a living anymore,” Rhodes said. “And I think one of the things that I really enjoyed about how John did it is the finality he brought to it.”
Rhodes continued:
“I have given you everything. This is all I have, anything else wouldn’t be right. And when John says he will never wrestle again, he really means it. So that finality was beautiful.”
Rhodes and his wife Brandi welcomed their first daughter, Liberty, in 2021, followed by their second daughter, Leilani, in 2025. With Liberty turning 11 in 2032, his comments potentially provide a rough indication of when he could step away from the ring.
Before that day arrives, Rhodes wants to follow the example set by Cena, AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar by taking chances during the latter stages of his career. That includes working with emerging talent and helping determine which wrestlers are ready to move into prominent positions.
Rhodes is also continuing to expand his career outside professional wrestling. He will portray Guile in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, scheduled for worldwide release on October 16.
