Cody Rhodes’s return shows why competition is important in professional wrestling

The past few months have been a roller coaster for fans of AEW, WWE, and specifically Cody Rhodes. The former AEW EVP went from putting on a Match of the Year candidate bout with Sammy Guevara, to debuting at WrestleMania 38. For months news outlets covered Rhodes’s contract status, much to the chagrin of fans at home. But in the end, Rhodes’s moment at WrestleMania lived up to all the expectations.

The arena went dark. Seth Rollins stood in the center of the ring. Everyone knew what was coming, but the moment Rhodes’s voice-over hit and his iconic theme song, “Kingdom,” began to play – only then was the moment real. Rhodes was headed to the ring to face off against one of the best performers in wrestling this generation. The match delivered and after 20 minutes of action, Rhodes picked up the victory.

Back in February, Fightful Select was the first to report the news about Rhodes and WWE. Rampant speculation, to put it mildly, ran wild like Hulkamania. Fans and media members alike discounted the idea of Rhodes, one of the founding members of All Elite Wrestling, would leave that company so early in its development to return to the WWE. But that is exactly what happened, with his contract signing becoming official in late March. With WrestleMania looming, his return was set in stone.

Because of AEW, wrestling fans are getting moments such as these. That promotion set the foundation for CM Punk to return to the business after seven years away. Bryan Danielson is going on a run that reminds wrestling fans that he belongs on the shortlist of the greatest to ever do it. It’s also because of AEW that Rhodes was able to step back into the WWE as a bigger star than he was before he left.

After leaving the WWE in 2016, Rhodes’s next steps would take him into Ring of Honor, New Japan, Defiant, AAA, and a host of other companies. All of this was before the start of All In, which led to the creation of AEW. At no point before AEW was Rhodes seen as a main event star, even though he was picking up title after title on the way. Yet, the success of All In, and his central part in the success of AEW helped Rhodes become a bigger and partially controversial star in professional wrestling. It was a winding road that not only elevated Rhodes, but everyone he was involved with along the way.

Cody Rhodes’s return to WWE is one of the top moments across yet another stacked WrestleMania weekend. It’s another example of delivering on what fans want to see and basking in that moment. It’s also a clear case that competition is good for professional wrestling. In the end, everyone wins.