Cody Rhodes appears on WWE Raw; 5 things to know about his AEW departure and more

Cody Rhodes made his first appearance on WWE TV during this week's Monday Night Raw. He appeared in a video feed as Corey and Jackie Redmond showed off the biggest surprise returns from 2022. Rhodes who has been recovering from an injury opened up about his 2023 plans. Rhodes suffered an injury that tore his right pectoral muscle completely off the bone days before his Hell in a Cell match with Seth Rollins on June 5. 

Cody Rhodes' WWE RAW appearance

Rhodes is nearing his return in 2023 and spoke about what's in store in the WWE TV RAW video as he said, "Even though I wasn't present for a good chunk of the year, what I was able to do, I think really did register with a lot of the WWE Universe. And I want to pick up right where I left off. Right back in that little kid's shoes because he had the biggest dreams. Because in this time that we're in, I have an opportunity at making that happen."

He further continued, "And I'm being incredibly vague here, I get it. But I think anybody who is a fan of what we do can read between the lines. There is one thing that I e back for specifically. A torn pec couldn't stop me, I couldn't name anything that can stop me. It has to be done, it needs to be done and I want to get it done."

Tony Khan on Cody Rhodes' AEW departure 

In the meantime, recently Tony Khan recently reflected on Cody Rhodes' departure from AEW. While speaking on Fightful's Grapsody podcast, Khan opened up about losing a star of Rhodes' calibre and said, "It's going to have a major impact on your company and affect a number of different departments and a number of different things in terms of the presentation and the backstage." He further added, "Personally, I really like Cody and I know Cody really well and he was so involved in so many different facets with the start of AEW and what we were. When he left, that was a major challenge. Going into Revolution, we had so many great stories and I think it helped us and helped keep us strong that people were so invested in what was happening in AEW at the time."

Cody Rhodes' Hell in a Cell injury

For the uninitiated, Rhodes who was one of AEW's founding executive vice presidents along with his wife Brandi, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks, returned to WWE during  WrestleMania 38. Although following his return, Cody was forced to remain on the bench following his showdown with Seth Rollins that resulted in him tearing his right pectoral muscle. Rhodes' return has been widely awaited by his fans. 

Cody Rhodes' speculated Wrestlemania 39 return 

Speculations have been rife that Rhodes will be involved in one of the main events of WrestleMania 39. Reports have suggested that there is a possibility that he may go up against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Another Fightful Select report also claimed that Rhodes is "fully expected" to return to WWE screens in time for the April pay-per-view. The site also noted that he filmed a promo which showcased him locking horns with The Miz on a bridge in Los Angeles. The report suggested that Cody vs. Miz will be one of the main midcard matches on the bumper weekend.

AEW’s Dax Harwood wants to fight Cody Rhodes

Speaking on the Gentleman Villain podcast, AEW’s Dax Harwood stated that he wants to fight the WWE superstar Cody Rhodes soon and also called him "a visionary." He said, "I felt that he was taking a sh*t on that by saying we practice our matches. But I got over that. Even though it doesn’t sound like it, I did. I got over it. He and I are very good friends. We talk all the time now. I think that he is a visionary, I think he is too smart for his own good, and I hope to be able to work with him very, very soon because I mean, I think I could tear it up with him." Although Harwood is not the only one who wants to fight Rhodes.

 NXT heel Grayson Waller also previously described Cody as his "dream opponent" and said, "I want to see what he has to say about that. He’s the measuring stick right now when it comes to superstars. I’ve met Cody before and when he walks in a room, it’s a different feeling. It’s like, ‘Wow, that’s the guy.’ If I’m going to main event WrestleMania, I want to stand across from the guy", via Wrestling Inc. 

While Cody Rhodes' injury had left fans disappointed, he is nearing a return just in time for the upcoming Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.

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