AEW Star Is Proud Of Cody Rhodes Following WWE Royal Rumble Win

Cody Rhodes returned in the men's Royal Rumble match at the number 30 spot and went on to win, last eliminating Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER for the victory. The road to the Rumble for the "American Nightmare" was not an easy one, as he was sidelined in June 2022 with a torn pectoral muscle while he was on a streak of victories since returning to WWE. Rhodes jumped back to WWE at WrestleMania 38 following six years away from the company — with nearly three of those spent with AEW, a promotion Rhodes helped start that is WWE's current biggest competition.

AEW star Matt Hardy addressed his thoughts on Rhodes winning the Royal Rumble. "I was very proud of him," Hardy said while on "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy." "I got to spend a lot of time with Cody whenever we did the pandemic, we were in Jacksonville for 18 months ... I think him leaving AEW and going to WWE, the first major jump from AEW to WWE is good for business. I think it's good for interest. I think it's good for wrestling fans. I think it's just good for the entire wrestling business in general. So, I was very happy for him to come back and I was happy that he won the Royal Rumble, and I think that he was the guy that should have won the Royal Rumble."

Following his Rumble win, Rhodes will now face off against Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39, hoping to accomplish a feat his father, Dusty Rhodes, was never able to — win the WWE Championship.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.