Cody Rhodes On Why Taking Himself Out Of AEW World Title Picture Was A Mistake, EVP Role Not Being Right For Him

In a recent interview on Out of Character with Ryan Satin, Cody Rhodes discussed the AEW EVP role not being right for him at this point in his career, why taking himself out of the AEW World title picture was a mistake, and much more. You can read his comments below.

Cody Rhodes on the AEW EVP role not being right for him at this point in his career: “Immature enough is what I said in the moment and I think more I meant, that role, I did well with it and I was very active and I did start the community department and Brandi did bring Kulture City into the wrestling and sports entertainment space. So, we were very active in terms of all the facts and assets of that gig, but I think that job was meant maybe for – we wanted a wrestling company brought to you by wrestlers, for sure. That was a huge part of the mission, but maybe it would have been better served for me at age 45 than it did at age 33.

On why taking himself out of the AEW World title picture was a mistake: “I am just now entering the prime of my career. So, to make political decisions like boxing myself out of winning a world championship, those decisions, in hindsight, were not the correct decisions in what I should have been doing. I’m the best wrestler in the world. I can tell you that without it sounding braggadocious, and it’s simply because this all I do. I train to do it, I live and breathe it, I have a school here with four rings, I treat this like an athlete in the NFL would treat a game. With that in mind, I needed to go and be that, and I wanted to be both. It was too difficult and that’s where I didn’t have the maturity to balance it. It wasn’t a matter of being one of the boys versus not because I’m no longer just one of the boys.

“I love it and wish I could be one, but I’ve been in this position before and been on the other side and in the production meetings and part of the technical production, but I just think it would have served me better later in life when I could look at a show and say, ‘I don’t want to be in the top spot.’ You need that good competition in your locker room, that positive and real competition, and if I can’t be the best wrestler in the world on television because I’m afraid I’m going to offend colleagues because I’m also their boss, that was the situation we were in, and I just played it in the middle. There was only so much of playing it in the middle I could do and now, I’m not in charge of anything other than me and being a pro wrestler. I say I’m the best wrestler in the world, and I felt like it for years. Now, we’re in a situation where I do have to be careful of how I say it because I’m not carrying the belt.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Out of Character with Ryan Satin with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.