WWE Quietly Acknowledges Cody Rhodes’ AEW Exit as a Major Turning Point

Cody Rhodes didn’t just return to WWE — he came back and made history. Now, the company is putting serious respect on The American Nightmare’s name.

WWE dropped a new video on their official YouTube channel ranking the 25 greatest WrestleMania returns of all time, and Cody Rhodes landed at the top. That’s right — Cody’s return at WrestleMania 38 was ranked #1, beating out some of the biggest legends in the business.

Rhodes shocked the world when he showed up as Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent at WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, marking his first WWE appearance in six years. Since then, Cody has gone on an absolute tear — defeating top stars like Seth Rollins, Brock Lesnar, and most notably ending Roman Reigns’ 1,316-day title reign in the main event of WrestleMania.

WWE subtly made a big statement by putting Cody at the top of that list — showing just how much they value his decision to come back after walking away in 2016. That exit was anything but smooth, but clearly, time (and dominance) heals all wounds.

Before returning to WWE, Cody helped launch AEW and served as one of its Executive Vice Presidents. He had standout moments there too, including his emotional clash with brother Dustin Rhodes at Double or Nothing 2019, which fans still call one of AEW’s best matches to date.

Now, with WWE fully embracing his comeback as the greatest WrestleMania return ever, it’s clear Cody’s homecoming wasn’t just about nostalgia — it changed the game.

Do you agree with WWE ranking Cody Rhodes’ return as the best in WrestleMania history? Should someone else have taken that top spot? Sound off in the comments — we want your take.