UPDATE: Cody Rhodes Reportedly in Talks for WWE Return

UPDATE: It appears things are moving quickly after word broke that Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes are leaving AEW. The Mat Men Podcast’s Andrew Zarian is now reporting that Cody Rhodes’ camp has been in contact with WWE officials (See below).

Additionally, MMAFighting and BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani is reporting that Rhodes and WWE are in talks about him returning to the company “in the near future.” Whether that means Cody could be signed back to WWE in time for WrestleMania 38 remains to be seen.

I can confirm that Cody's camp has been in contact with WWE officials.

— Andrew Zarian (@AndrewZarian) February 15, 2022

Huge developing news in the world of pro wrestling:

Cody Rhodes is leaving AEW, sources say.

And I’m told Rhodes and WWE are in fact talking about him returning to the organization in the near future, I’m told.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 15, 2022

ORIGINAL: The pro wrestling industry was rocked today with the shocking news that AEW EVP and star Cody Rhodes, along with wife and Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes, were leaving the company. Word recently surfaced that Cody’s AEW contract had expired at the end of last year, and he confirmed reports that he was no longer under contract and that he was working with Tony Khan under a handshake deal. In another bizarre angle to this story, Dave Meltzer reported on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio, that there even appears to be some talk behind the scenes of Cody Rhodes possibly returning to WWE.

Before the news of Cody and Brandi leaving AEW broke, Meltzer stated on Observer Radio that Cody Rhodes still hadn’t been re-signed to AEW, and there was apparently talk in “certain circles” about Cody potentially returning to WWE.

Meltzer stated, “He has not signed [referring to Cody and AEW], and in WWE, they thought that there was a good chance, or a chance — It was definitely something that was talked about today in certain circles of the potential of something happening there.”

Cody Rhodes previously left WWE after being granted his release in May 2016. He was one of the founding members of AEW in 2019, signing with the company at its inception and being named one of the company’s Executive Vice Presidents.

Ahead of today’s news, Cody’s AEW and WarnerMedia reality show, Rhodes to the Top, had reportedly been renewed for a second season. What Cody and Brandi’s exits mean for the future of that show has not yet been officially confirmed. Cody Rhodes is also a judge on The Go Big Show, which airs weekly on TBS.