Rhodes’ self-imposed exile from the AEW World Championship scene didn’t faze people at first, as many believed that there would be some sort of loophole years down the line, but that loophole was never found. As time went on, Rhodes became less involved with the main event scene in AEW, and his multiple reigns as AEW TNT Champion only looked to be consolation prizes in hindsight.

The man himself even admitted in a 2022 interview that boxing himself out of the main event scene in AEW was a mistake, stating that he is at the age where he should be winning world titles and forcing himself not to hold, or even challenge for the title of a company he helped create was a terrible idea. A year later, Rhodes revealed that he felt like his wrestling was getting worse in AEW, which he believes was “A Cody Mistake” as he thought he would still be as good as ever, only wrestling a couple of times per month. He wanted to take on more of an executive role in AEW and embrace the EVP title that had been given to him, but at the end of the day, all he wanted to do was wrestle, and there was a company that would not only allow him to wrestle but make him their top star.

In 2022, Rhodes and his wife Brandi left AEW to the surprise of many, and “The American Nightmare” returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38. He was immediately positioned as a main event guy, and two years after his big return, Rhodes had become the biggest name in the business and headlined both nights of WrestleMania 40, becoming the Undisputed WWE Champion on night two. Had Rhodes been allowed to win the AEW World Championship, he might never have left the company, and WWE wouldn’t have one of the biggest babyfaces of the modern era.