Cody Rhodes has confirmed that he has signed a new WWE contract and intends to close out his in-ring career with the company.
The former Undisputed WWE Champion made the announcement while appearing on FLAGRANT, describing it as “breaking news” before explaining why the agreement is especially meaningful to him at this stage of his career. Rhodes has become one of WWE’s central stars since his 2022 return, but he indicated that his future with the company can also accommodate opportunities outside the ring.
“I just re-signed with WWE,” Rhodes said. “I’ll end my wrestling career with WWE.”
That is a significant declaration from Rhodes, whose modern career has been defined by taking major professional risks and forging his own path. His decision to return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 in 2022 followed a highly visible departure years earlier, as well as his role in helping establish AEW. Since coming back, Rhodes has built a second WWE run that has reshaped his place in the industry and ultimately carried him to the top of the company.
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Rhodes is currently balancing his WWE commitments with promotion for Street Fighter, his new movie, while continuing to appear on WWE SmackDown. He recently fell short of qualifying for the Money in the Bank ladder match after Randy Orton cost him the opportunity, ensuring that his current television story remains active even as he expands his work beyond wrestling.
A WWE Career With Flexibility Beyond The Ring
While the new deal represents a commitment to WWE, Rhodes did not present it as a signal that he will be exclusively focused on wrestling at all times. Instead, he explained that WWE’s current structure allows performers to work with the company while stepping away for outside projects when necessary.
Rhodes said WWE talent can now pursue work in areas such as film and later return, framing the arrangement as a collaboration rather than a choice between one career and another. That flexibility matters immediately in his case, with Street Fighter placing him in a prominent film project and potentially opening the door to more acting work in the future.
“I’m able to take a step away, and I’m able to collaborate with WWE, and I’m able to come back home,” Rhodes said.
The comments underline the degree to which Rhodes views WWE as his professional base. For a performer who has worked across a range of major wrestling environments, the word “home” carries particular weight. His first WWE tenure began when he entered the company as a young second-generation wrestler, and his return came after he had spent years proving that he could succeed outside its system.
That journey has made Rhodes a singular figure in current WWE. He is not simply a star who climbed through the company’s developmental pipeline or a veteran who arrived after an established career elsewhere. He has been both: a WWE performer shaped by the Rhodes family legacy, and an executive-level contributor to a rival promotion before choosing to return and pursue unfinished business.
His WrestleMania 38 comeback was an immediate statement of intent. Rhodes arrived with the same “American Nightmare” identity he had refined outside WWE, rather than reverting to an earlier version of himself. The presentation made clear that he was returning not to restart from the bottom, but to compete as a top-level attraction.
From WrestleMania Return To WWE’s Top Prize
Rhodes’ central goal upon returning was direct and deeply personal: winning the WWE Championship that his late father, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, never held. That pursuit became one of WWE’s defining long-term stories. Rhodes challenged Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 but was unable to finish the story on that occasion.
Rather than ending there, the chase continued. Rhodes ultimately defeated Reigns at WrestleMania 40 to win the Undisputed WWE Championship, delivering the defining title victory of his career and bringing a major chapter of the Rhodes family story full circle.
The achievement also changed the way Rhodes is positioned within WWE. He is no longer solely identified by the story of seeking a championship his father never won. He has already reached that destination and held the company’s top prize, creating a new set of questions about his longevity, his next major rivalries and the eventual transition from active competition into the next phase of his working life.
His new contract answers at least one of those questions. Rhodes sees WWE as the place where his wrestling career will end. At the same time, he left open the possibility that his overall association with the company could continue long after he stops wrestling regularly.
“My wrestling career with WWE might continue,” Rhodes said.
That distinction is important. Rhodes did not specify a future title, role or timetable, and there is no reason to presume what form a post-wrestling WWE position might take. Still, his remarks suggest he recognizes that a career in the industry does not have to end when a performer takes their final match. Whether that means occasional appearances, creative involvement, mentoring, media work or something else remains for the future.
Retirement Is A Family Consideration For Rhodes
Rhodes also discussed how his thinking about retirement has evolved. He said he once had a particular number in mind for when he might leave active wrestling behind, but his growth during WWE’s current regime has shown him that there can be other ways to contribute. He did not put a date on a potential “settle down” moment.
Instead, Rhodes connected the subject to his family. He spoke about the support his parents provided when he was young, including Dusty Rhodes’ presence when he needed it. Rhodes said he wants to give that same availability to his two daughters.
It is a familiar reality for wrestlers at the highest level: the demands of television, premium live events, travel and promotional work can require substantial time away from home. Rhodes’ comments did not indicate that retirement is imminent. On the contrary, his new deal and current WWE schedule point to an ongoing commitment. But they do reveal the personal calculation behind any eventual decision to reduce an in-ring workload.
For Rhodes, the issue is not simply how long he can physically perform. It is also about how he wants to structure his time as a father while continuing to build on the opportunities now available to him. His acting work is part of that broader conversation, as is WWE’s willingness to let him pursue external projects without severing his connection to the company.
What The Deal Means For WWE Moving Forward
Rhodes’ confirmation brings stability to WWE’s main-event picture. He remains one of the promotion’s most recognizable active names, a frequent centerpiece of major programming and a performer whose story has resonated with audiences across several distinct stages of his career.
On SmackDown, the immediate issue is his setback in the Money in the Bank qualifying match. Randy Orton’s role in preventing Rhodes from reaching the ladder match adds another wrinkle to the blue brand’s landscape, especially given the history and stature of both men. Rhodes is accustomed to having his path redirected by high-profile opponents, and the loss does not diminish his standing as a central WWE figure.
More broadly, the new contract establishes that Rhodes’ relationship with WWE is not a short-term reunion. It is a long-range commitment from a performer who has experienced the company from multiple perspectives and now says he wants his active wrestling story to conclude there.
Rhodes has never been a conventional figure in WWE’s recent history. He left, reinvented himself, helped launch a new chapter for the wider wrestling business, returned on his own terms and captured the championship that eluded his father. Now, with a new agreement in place, he is looking to add more to that legacy while making room for projects beyond the ring.
For the American Nightmare, WWE is where the next part of that story will unfold—and, when the time finally comes, where the in-ring portion of it will end.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.