10 Precise Moments Wrestlers Wanted To Jump Ship

8. Cody Rhodes

Dean Ambrose Gas Mask
AEW

Status In WWE:

A face-painted geek and the worst kind to boot: he looked all the more of an embarrassment for being a total pro and committing to one of the worst gimmicks ever. It was as if he was endorsing Stardust, the inter-dimensional supporting character in the worst sci-fi film ever made. At least Plan 9 From Outer Space was so-bad-it's-good. Stardust was so bad it nearly killed his career. An overly theatrical joke of an act, Vince McMahon had told Cody it was to be shelved after WrestleMania 32.

When it wasn't...

Why And When They Wanted To Leave:

Vince's decision to proceed with an alien character as dead as ALF in the finale compelled Rhodes to hand in his notice. Cody had already designed new gear to disassociate fans from Stardust and previous incarnations of his Cody character - perhaps the long tights he continues to wear today - and heavily teased the development on social media.

Cody added a note of romance to his exit statement, revealing that the power of the "dingy 'ol Greensboro Coliseum" had given him a "whimsical moment of clarity"; in reality, his mind had been made up and his invoking a sentimental old battleground was phase one of an ingenious marketing relaunch as a driven pro wrestler in defiance of the empire.

 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!