Cody Rhodes does not have a firm retirement date in mind, even as questions about how long he intends to remain an active WWE performer continue to follow him.
Speaking on the Flagrant podcast, Rhodes addressed the subject of eventually stepping away from full-time wrestling at age 41. Rather than point to a specific age or a predetermined end point, Rhodes explained that his view has changed as he has watched experienced WWE figures continue contributing at a high level after transitioning out of the ring.
Rhodes said he once believed he had a particular number in mind for retirement, but his experiences within WWE’s current structure have given him a broader perspective on what a long career in wrestling can look like. The industry does not always require a clean break between being an in-ring talent and remaining involved in the business.
“I think I used to have a number in mind for when wrestling retirement would come, but the way I’ve really grown with the current regime at WWE and there’s some unsaid heroes too — Bobby Roode for example, him kind of growing into a role there as a big time producer on big matches. Michael Hayes is still there doing the big time matches. One thing I’ve learned from them is they never have really taken — they’ve never stepped back from it. They’ve stepped into different roles.”
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That distinction is central to Rhodes’ current outlook. Retirement from active competition and a complete departure from professional wrestling are not necessarily the same thing. Rhodes pointed to Bobby Roode and Michael Hayes as examples of people who have continued to influence major WWE matches while serving in different capacities.
Roode, a former WWE and NXT champion, has moved into a production role following the end of his in-ring career. Hayes, meanwhile, has been a longstanding creative and producing presence behind major WWE matches. For Rhodes, their continued involvement illustrates that there can be another chapter after a wrestler’s regular ring schedule comes to an end.
Rhodes sees more work ahead before any transition
While Rhodes did not identify a timetable for slowing down, he made clear that family will be a defining factor whenever he reaches that point. He discussed the example set by his parents and the importance of being consistently present as a child gets older and becomes involved in activities, school events, and sports.
Rhodes and his wife, Brandi Rhodes, have two daughters. The WWE star said he would like to offer his children the same level of support he felt from his own parents, particularly from around the age of eight onward.
“I don’t know when settling down is, but I can say this. My parents were there for everything pretty much at the time that I needed them to be there for everything. So, I’d say like eight years old on, everything. Every game, every event, every booster club, all those things, I loved that they were there. I felt like I was their business was me and my sister. I’d love that for my two girls. So with that, it means I need to get to work and then I can go. There’s more, there’s more to do.”
The comments present Rhodes’ future in personal rather than purely professional terms. He did not frame settling down as an immediate plan, nor did he announce that his active career is nearing its conclusion. Instead, he described a balance he hopes to achieve: continuing to work while he believes there is still more to accomplish, then being able to devote the necessary time to his daughters when they reach the stage of life he considers especially important.
Rhodes’ language also suggests that he remains motivated by unfinished goals. “There’s more, there’s more to do” was the clearest statement about his present mindset. At this stage, he is not presenting himself as someone preparing to exit WWE. He is acknowledging that the demands of parenthood will matter more and more while maintaining that he still sees meaningful work ahead.
A different definition of longevity in WWE
Wrestling retirement conversations often focus on the physical side of a performer’s career: age, health, schedule, championship aspirations, and the difficulty of sustaining a top-level ring workload. Rhodes’ answer added another layer. He is considering the eventual move away from the ring through the lens of family availability and long-term purpose within the industry.
His remarks also reflect the range of roles available in WWE beyond performing. Producers, creative personnel, coaches, and executives can remain closely connected to the most important parts of the product. That does not mean Rhodes has said what role, if any, he might seek after his wrestling career. He did not lay out a post-retirement job plan. However, Roode and Hayes gave him examples of how veteran wrestling figures can remain valuable without competing regularly.
For a talent with Rhodes’ background, that observation carries particular weight. His career has included prominent runs across multiple eras and environments of professional wrestling, and he has experience not only as an on-screen performer but also with the larger responsibilities involved in helping build wrestling projects. Still, his comments were focused on what he has learned during his present WWE run rather than on declaring his next destination within the company.
Rhodes specifically praised the opportunity to grow with WWE’s current regime. The statement was not framed as a complaint about retirement questions or an attempt to quiet them. It was a reflection on how his expectations have evolved. A fixed retirement age may have seemed logical earlier in his career, but observing the work being done by respected veterans behind the scenes has made the future appear less defined by one final match or one final date.
Family remains the clearest marker for the future
There is no announced retirement schedule coming out of Rhodes’ comments. There is also no indication that he is reducing his WWE commitments in the immediate future. The most concrete point he made is that he wants to be a hands-on parent as his daughters get older.
By describing the presence of his own parents at “every game, every event, every booster club,” Rhodes offered a detailed picture of what he hopes family life will look like later. He remembered feeling that he and his sister were their parents’ priority, and he wants his two daughters to feel that same commitment.
That aspiration does not erase his current competitive drive. If anything, Rhodes connected the two ideas: he wants to continue working now because he believes there is still more to achieve, while also preparing for a future in which he can be there for the moments that matter most to his children.
For now, the answer to when Cody Rhodes will settle down remains simple: he does not know. What he does know is the standard he wants to meet when the time comes. He wants to be present for his daughters in the way his parents were present for him, and he sees that goal as a major consideration in deciding how the later stages of his career will unfold.
Until then, Rhodes is not placing a number on his final year as an active wrestler. His comments instead leave room for a continuing WWE career, possible future evolution into a different role, and a family-first decision when the balance between those priorities changes.
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.