Cody Rhodes Re-Signs With WWE and Plans to End His Career There
Rhodes revealed the new deal on the Flagrant podcast while promoting Street Fighter, saying it lets him take outside projects and come back.
Cody Rhodes says he has signed a new contract with WWE and expects to finish his wrestling career with the company. He made the announcement in an interview on the Flagrant podcast, hosted by comedian Andrew Schulz, which was published on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
What Rhodes said
The contract came up while Rhodes was promoting the live-action Street Fighter film, in which he plays Guile and Schulz plays Dan Hibiki.
"I just re-signed with WWE, so I'll end my wrestling career with WWE."
He spent more time on what the deal lets him do away from the ring. Rhodes said he and WWE can now plan around film work, so he can take an acting job and then come back.
"Say I do have another project. Say I got two other projects, whatever it may be. I'm able to take a step away and I'm able to collaborate with WWE and I'm able to come back home."
He also talked about pay in the business today. "The wrestling economy is different now because there's other places you can go wrestle," he said. "The money in wrestling and sports entertainment is very good." He added that wrestlers from his father Dusty Rhodes' generation would be shocked by it.
Among the things he still wants to do in the ring, he reportedly named a Money in the Bank match and the United States Championship, two things he has not done in WWE.
What is known about the deal
Rhodes did not give the length of the contract or any financial terms, and no figures have been made public. Nothing has been said about how many dates he will work or how time off for acting will be arranged, beyond his description of being able to step away and return.
This is the second time in two and a half years that Rhodes has spoken about extending his WWE stay. In March 2024, shortly before WrestleMania XL, he said in an interview that he had signed a new contract that ran past his 40th birthday. He had previously talked about stopping at 40. He turned 41 on June 30 this year.
Rhodes left WWE in 2016, wrestled for Ring of Honor, Impact and others, and in 2019 became one of the founding executive vice presidents of All Elite Wrestling. He left AEW in February 2022 after the two sides could not agree a new contract, and returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 that April. Saying he will finish with WWE rules out a return to AEW when this contract ends, at least by his own account.
Where he stands in WWE
Since coming back, Rhodes has won the Royal Rumble twice, in 2023 and 2024, and held the WWE Championship three times. His most recent reign ended at Night of Champions on June 27, 2026, when Sami Zayn won the title in a triple threat that also involved Gunther. Rhodes then challenged CM Punk for the championship at SummerSlam and lost after Randy Orton interfered, and Orton beat him again on September 6.
Street Fighter is due in US cinemas on October 16 through Paramount Pictures. Rhodes was off WWE television for about a month in 2025 while it was filmed, and Roman Reigns is also in the cast as Akuma.
