Cody Rhodes Shares That Idea Of Him Taking A Break From WWE Has Been ‘Advised Across The Board’

The idea of taking a break is not something Cody Rhodes is looking to do.

There was a comment made by A.J. Styles on his Phenomenally Retro Podcast about Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes needing a break from the grind, even if he declines it.

Styles’ comments were passed along to Rhodes during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. Rhodes said the idea of him taking a break has been advised across the board, but explained why he has the mindset he does regarding discussions like that.

“I actually didn’t know A.J. said that. I think it’s okay to say now. When I wrestled A.J. — after WrestleMania 40, I had jumped into a program with A.J. Styles. We wrestled at Backlash in front of wrestling’s greatest crowd, and then we had another one in Scotland. A.J. Styles was incredibly generous, and he wasn’t even on the way out. Incredibly generous on his, kind of, final tours that he was doing with me and what I needed to be doing. Should I be at the monitor? Should I be giving a speech at the end of the shows? All of the things that no one could teach me other than someone who had been there before, and that was A.J. so A.J. very much fills a big brother role. I think it’s safe to say from the outside, ‘Cody should take a break.’ It’s been advised across the board but also, let me put it to you this way, there are guys who do take breaks, and I’m not mad at anyone who takes breaks, and they get to go and get in incredible shape or go do a project, or get healthy. Whatever the heck it is that they’re doing, they get to do that and they’re fresh and they get that big reaction on the first night. But then it settles back into what it was. If others are doing that — and I heard this from Bobby Roode. I hope he doesn’t mind his name being mentioned here — well, then it’s my job to be the guy who’s always here. Then it’s my job to be the one who doesn’t leave you, and if that means that things can get a bit stale on occasion or maybe a better way to put it — not stale — if that means things can get a bit expected, then that’s still a safe place to be and I liked his outlook on it and that’s really been my outlook… I need to be the one who’s here all the time, until someone else steps into those boots.”

Styles had his final match at the 2026 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, where he was defeated by GUNTHER. Styles was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame several months later.

If the quote in this article is used, please credit The Ariel Helwani Show with an H/T to Fightful for the transcription.