10 Wrestlers Who Transformed Their Careers By Leaving WWE

Cody Rhodes’ WWE career had a promising start with a feud with Randy Orton. The storyline payoff resulted in Legacy. Cody shone in the stable, and his prospects looked good once it disbanded. He was a solid mid-card talent and two-time Intercontinental Champion.

The highlight of AEW’s inaugural Double or Nothing was Cody facing off against his brother Dustin. However, as a tag team in WWE, Dustin’s Goldust gimmick dragged Cody down and birthed Stardust, a neutered version of the already neutered modern day Goldust. Dismayed with the gimmick, Cody offered to play Stardust on Raw and an alternate persona on SmackDown. Soon after this was denied, he left the company.

Though Cody bounced around various promotions, it was in NJPW where he rebuilt himself as "The American Nightmare" and formed the relationships that would spawn AEW.

In events that verge on a Shakespearian tragedy, the cast-out Cody returned, leading the rebellion against WWE, even if the closest thing to an actual battle was Cody taking a sledgehammer to a prop throne. Cody is currently at the forefront of WWE’s biggest rival as both an Executive Vice President and an in-ring standout.