Cody Rhodes believes he still has several years left in the ring, but he is already thinking about when it will be time to walk away.
During a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, Rhodes estimated that he has another six or seven years left in his wrestling career. The 41-year-old made it clear he doesn’t intend to wrestle into his 50s, and one factor in that decision has nothing to do with injuries or his ability to continue performing.
“I mean, Cody fatigue is already pretty set in,” Rhodes said.
Asked whether he could actually feel that fatigue from WWE audiences, Rhodes was less definitive.
“Well, no, maybe,” Rhodes responded. “But I think you can only go so far, and you’re only supposed to go so far.”
Rhodes added that wrestling has given him everything and that eventually there comes a point when he has to stop taking from it.
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Cody Rhodes Still Has His Best WWE Years Ahead of Him
It’s difficult not to feel at least some of the fatigue Rhodes is talking about.
The overwhelming love that carried him through the “Finish the Story” era and into WrestleMania 40 hasn’t fully returned. Roman Reigns even took a dig at Rhodes on Monday’s Raw, arguing that the WWE Championship hasn’t meant as much since Reigns lost it to him at WrestleMania 40.
Still, there remains considerable goodwill toward Rhodes.
Some of the restlessness may simply come from fans waiting to see what’s next. A Rhodes heel turn has been fantasy-booked for years, and an eventual character shift could provide the refresh his WWE run needs.
Personally, I don’t believe Rhodes has done the best work of his career yet.
If he really has another six or seven years, those years shouldn’t merely serve as an epilogue to finishing the story. They could, and should, be the best stretch of his career.
“Cody fatigue” may be real. What Rhodes does with it could determine how memorable his final years become.
