Cody Rhodes: “Obvious” that his WWE release is a worked “soft release.” Initially told it’s an under-the-table deal orchestrated with Paul Levesque. Cody gets to leave for awhile, work with trendy indy stars, wash away the Stardust stink, and return with a workrate reputation from hardcore underground fans. Cody is apparently being paid by WWE instead of WWN Live to work Evolve! He’s also being paid by WWE during the rest of the “interim period.” Notice that Cody’s first indy date booked was with WWE-affiliated Evolve. Lanza has been “flat out told that Cody Rhodes has every intention of returning to WWE in the fall and doesn’t have any [indy] bookings beyond October [2016] right now.”
Until Cody works for NJPW, ROH, or TNA, Lanza doesn’t buy that he truly left WWE. Cody was supposedly told he can’t work for NJPW or ROH; TNA wasn’t mentioned on the no-no list but no way Cody goes there if’s still under WWE contract. Lanza believes the WWE legends contract story reported by PWInsider’s Mike Johnson was planted and is part of the work. Johnson is a co-opted member of the WWE media team who leaked the false story that Evolve would become a pure WWE farm system and that would thus force Chris Hero out. It is obvious that Paul Levesque leaks this to Johnson; listen to NXT’s conference calls to connect the dots. Also, it isn’t WWE’s MO to offer a Legends contract to a non-retired wrestler in his athletic prime. Cody’s anger over this is obviously false.
Cody is no stranger to being involved in works. A worked firing angle was used in the past to kick off the Stardust gimmick. He was booked to work PWS; owner Pat Buck told Voices of Wrestling that Cody’s match at the time was planned but then cancelled by WWE. Cody is currently charging very different rates with indy federations as well.
Cody is taking a brilliant but significant risk by doing this. There’s the very real chance he could fail to impress on the indies like Matt Hardy in 2005 and Curt Hawkins in 2014, causing his stock to drop even more than when this “soft release” started. But Cody is motivated and doesn’t wanna be defined by what had become an incredibly stale Stardust persona.
Sonic's note: Cody has also yet to be booked by TNA-affiliated AAA or NJPW/ROH-affiliated CMLL. He's only been booked for legit indies or the WWE-affiliated Evolve.
