Cody Rhodes has accomplished quite a lot since his departure from the WWE. He’s the current IWGP United States champion for NJPW, he captured the NWA heavyweight championship at his self-produced event ALL IN, and had a run as the heavyweight champion for Ring of Honor. He’s now reached a point of popularity that he can even afford to turn away seven-figure deals.

That’s not to say that Rhodes didn’t have his successes in the WWE, which he himself admits. When a fan tweeted about the American Nightmare’s triumphs, Rhodes responded with support, but states that he had larger aspirations

https://twitter.com/VincesBoy/status/1077767620013768705

They didn’t squander me at all. It was a great place to learn, travel, and grow-up across TV sets. Helped shape the business side of me forever. I just had different aspirations and saw a different path I wanted to take.

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) December 26, 2018