Cody Rhodes Makes Big Claim About His Influence On AEW

Cody Rhodes shocked the wrestling world earlier this year when he left AEW and returned to WWE, appearing at "WrestleMania 38" to take on Seth Rollins. The turn of events came as a surprise to many wrestling fans as Rhodes was a founding member and Executive Vice President of Tony Khan's upstart company. However, the 37-year-old felt that he'd reached his ceiling in AEW, noting that he didn't want to be a "gatekeeper" who'd never realize his full potential. 

While Rhodes may have parted ways with AEW, he hasn't forgotten about his influence on the company. The "American Nightmare" recently took to Twitter and responded to a fan who claimed that Rhodes was instrumental in getting the promotion off the ground. The WWE Superstar agreed with the sentiment, though he acknowledged the other people who helped AEW flourish early on.

"Facts are all out there to see...without Brandi [Rhodes] or I it wouldn't exist. Look no further than some of the infrastructure in place or even half the names of the events. Tony [Khan], Bucks [Matt and Nick Jackson], Kenny [Omega], [Chris] Jericho, Dana [Massie], Hang [Adam Page]...pioneers. I've moved on to the next stage for me, but beautiful memories."

At least there doesn't appear to be any hard feelings between Rhodes and his former colleagues. Following his departure, AEW President and CEO Tony Khan thanked the WWE star for his role in helping the company get started. Furthermore, AEW has continued to experience success in the wake of Rhodes' exit, with "Dynamite" remaining a consistent ratings draw on cable.