The Ringer has posted a teaser clip from an upcoming interview with Bill Simmons, in which Cody talks about why he left AEW.
Cody said he and Brandi left AEW, because he felt disrespected and he wouldn’t stand for it. He also said there is still a mix of “bad blood, respect, and love” for AEW.
“There’s clearly bad blood, but there’s also clearly respect and love. In the end, the way I see it is, if I felt disrespected ever at WWE, that’s one thing. That’s a company that was built…that’s the Yankees. That’s the flagship of it all. If I ever felt (at WWE) that I was a number on a sheet, maybe, but feeling disrespected at something I built with my friends. That we built. Feeling disrespected there, I wouldn’t stand for it. Brandi and I both, I’m so blessed to have her. It was one of those where it was, f— it. ‘I did way more here than you think, and you’re going to find out the moment I’m out the door.’ I don’t believe in the cold-hearted back-stabbing type of revenge. The greatest revenge on Earth is success. I felt like we were sitting on something wonderful. Something great. A huge, potentially, what I was doing with the American Nightmare, as a bad guy, as a good guy, something in between. We’re sitting on some magic. If I’m not going to do it in the house that I literally, with Matt, Nick, and Kenny built, then buddy, I’m going elsewhere.”
Cody, who helped found AEW back in 2019, served as an Executive Vice President for the company, alongside Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson). In early 2022, Cody and his wife left AEW. As Cody and AEW CEO, President and General Manager Tony Khan had been quiet about Cody’s departure, there had been much speculation that there were creative differences, especially with Khan.
Cody returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38, as the surprise opponent for Seth Rollins.
He is set to challenge John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a street fight at Night Two of SummerSlam, which is Sunday, August 3.