Wrestling Veteran Gives Cody Rhodes Major Props For Leaving WWE: ‘I Respect The Hell Out Of It’

On the May 31 installment of his internet radio program The TAZ Show: Bodyslams and Beyond, WWE, TNA, and ECW star Taz weighed in on Cody Rhodes’ controversial departure from WWE. Taz, who has worked in the ring, at the announce desk, and behind the curtain for decades, assured fans that Cody Rhodes made the right decision in asking WWE for his release, sharing his own experience to provide some perspective on the matter.

“Cody was raised to be a team player,” Taz said of the 30-year-old wrestler. “From his late great dad Dusty Rhodes; his brother, Goldust – there’s another… just a legend. So, he learned that coming up in the business and he’s just a pro, so he understands that. And his wife seems like she’s the same way so I’m interested to see what both of them do outside of another of the WWE.”

Taz offered high praise for Cody Rhodes’ work ethic and ability, suggesting that in the end Rhodes has simply outgrown the options offered by WWE.

“Cody can get in the ring and go with anybody, in any style,” Taz said. “That’s how talented he is. Good for him. Because now he’s a motivated son of a b**ch that the company dropped the bomb on top he tried his best to be a company guy. He tried his best to tell the writers ideas. … He went for the P.C. route but they tell you to go with and they blew them off. And they blew them off again. And guess what? He had enough.”

As previously noted by Forbes and other media outlets, Cody Rhodes – who has performed in WWE for the past few years as the character Stardust – asked for his release from the company in late May. His wife Eden Stiles was released shortly thereafter. After his request was granted, Rhodes posted an explanation for the development via social media. Wrestling writer Mike Mooneyham later dissected Rhodes’ online farewell, which included complaints that WWE’s creative division was not receptive to any ideas that Cody himself pitched over the course of latter months. Cody Rhodes also indicated that he did not feel that WWE’s top brass would push him all the way to the company at any time in his career.

“My goal in pro wrestling has always been to win the WWE championship (the one accolade in the game my father never obtained), and for a decade I tried to convince both Vince and [Triple H] that I could be their star player, their varsity quarterback if you will, but it seems we have reached the point where neither saw that in me,” Cody Rhodes said according to the aforementioned report by Mooneyham.

Already looking forward, Cody Rhodes later posted a list via Twitter that purportedly provides a look at how the wrestler’s career will unfold once the 90-day “non-compete” clause expires on his WWE contract. The move drew high praise from Taz, who knows a thing or two about the art of self-promotion.

After 8/19 pic.twitter.com/txeAKw9SSN

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) May 28, 2016

“Cody’s being creative,” Taz said of his fellow WWE alumnus. “I respect the hell out it. I love it. … When I saw it, I’m like, ‘Look at this guy. This is great!’ Seriously, I think that’s awesome.”

Cody Rhodes appears to have already lined up one of the items on the above-noted list. According to a report by WrestleZone, Rhodes will face Olympic gold medalist and pro wrestling legend Kurt Angle on August 27 at a Northeast Wrestling event.

[Photo by Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images for WWE]