7 Former WWE Superstars whose careers took off after leaving the company

#2 Cody Rhodes' remarkable success outside WWE

The American Nightmare

Cody Rhodes joined WWE in 2006 and it looked like he would go on a golden run right away. He had a good rivalry with Randy Orton early on and started building up partnerships soon after. While he enjoyed a few mid-card and tag team championship reigns, he never got the push to reach the top. A lengthy partnership with Goldust led him to turn into Stardust late in his WWE career.

After getting nowhere, Cody requested his release from WWE in 2016. He revealed that Triple H took his departure from WWE very personally.

“Hunter [Triple H] took it very personally because he had done so much for my dad at NXT. There was one conversation where he said, ‘I’m shocked that you feel this way after everything I’ve done for your family.’ But I told him, ‘I’m not my dad. I can’t stay here out of loyalty to you for giving my dad a job in 2005. I’ve got to be me.’ I think Hunter, he's been in wrestling long enough that he knew, ‘Oh, this is a real one. He’s not asking for more money. He’s not asking for a title shot. Nothing would matter at this point.’ I let the burn get too bad before I said anything," Cody Rhodes disclosed.

Following his release, Cody went on to perform on many different promotions and started proving himself outside WWE.

His real claim to fame was the formation of All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Along with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, Cody created a promotion that currently rivals WWE. He is now a two-time AEW TNT Champion and is at the top of his game.

Cody initially made a name for himself in WWE. However, it is his work in AEW that has helped him become one of the most recognizable figures in sports entertainment.