Life after WWE: Catching up with 10 Superstars released in 2016

#2 Cody Rhodes

Cody is the current GFW Nex*Gen Champion!

Cody Rhodes was one of those guys everyone expected to be a lifer with the WWE. Unfortunately, things went south when WWE's creative staff refused to consider Cody’s request to end the Stardust gimmick. Cody says he pleaded with the company for over six months to try something different.

In fact, Cody says he presented multiple character and story ideas, which apparently fell on deaf ears. Eventually, after growing exceedingly frustrated, Cody would ask for his release on May 21st.

Once he parted ways with the WWE, Cody made a list of some of the world's top independent talent, suggesting that these were the names he wanted to face. Since then, he has indeed checked several names off of that list, having matches against Kurt Angle and several others from the list.

He has since had to drop the Rhodes name and perform simply as Cody. In the latest news regarding Cody, he appeared in a vignette for New Japan Pro Wrestling, conforming that he is the newest member of the Bullet Club, where he will be known as 'The American Nightmare' Cody.

He's expected to make his debut at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 in January 2017. Cody has also competed for Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling, where he is the current Nex*Gen Champion.