Cody Rhodes is in the midst of an historic post-WWE run. Since departing the company back in May, Rhodes has competed for TNA, ROH, PWG, WCPW and may other independent promotions across the world. He’ll debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling at Wrestle Kingdom 11 on January 4th. After that show, he will have competed at WrestleMania, Bound For Glory, BOLA, Final Battle and WrestleKingdom inside a 12-month period. Cody set a new standard for what’s possible for a wrestler after working for WWE, but does he ever think about returning?

- Advertisement -

During a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the American Nightmare commented on that prospect. There’s no denying Cody’s stock is way up since taking greater control of his career path. When asked by his wife Brandi if he’d consider a surprise appearance in the 2017 Royal Rumble, Cody scoffed at the idea. Brandi asked, “What if they said, ‘Come back at the Royal Rumble, and make it about you and Triple H and head to WrestleMania with that’?” That’s when his answer changed.

“Maybe in my heart, the end game is to go back to WWE, but it’s definitely not in the forefront of my mind,” Cody said. “Each time I go out there, I find out a little bit more about where I’m ultimately happy being.” “I think people who say, ‘I’m never going back to WWE,’ I don’t understand that. I had a lot of gripes, and those are things that I’d be a hypocrite if I went back and didn’t try to make right. But I think it’s silly when people say never, unless you’ve been burned that bad. I really can’t even say I’ve been burned at all.”

Until then, he’ll continue forging his own path. Here’s a look at what’s on tap for Cody this weekend: