Dustin Rhodes On What Led To Him Leaving The WWE

During an appearance on AEW Unrestricted, Dustin Rhodes spoke on his decision to leave the WWE. Here’s what he had to say:

When you’re sitting at home for a couple of months with another company who doesn’t value you at all, and you’re sitting there knowing you have so much more to offer. You kind of lose you passion, and for the first time in my 31 years, I lost my passion for the wrestling business. I love wrestling. Came out of my mother’s womb wanting to be a wrestler, and we were raised that way. Dad wanted something different for me. He did not want me to go through the hardships that he went through, and I understand it looking back at it now, but I’m sitting there just knowing I have so much more to give.

They just will not give me the time of day, and I had enough. I said enough was enough, and for the first time, I kind of stood up for myself in a big way and said, ‘I am quitting. I am asking you for my release. I am done. I’m not happy here anymore,’ and you know how they do, they kind of make you wait for it. It was getting close to Double or Nothing, and Cody called me. He said, ‘would you like to work a match with me?’ At first I thought we have tried this for years and years and years.

And they told us it was not good enough to be on the big stage. I heard that more than once. Every year. I tried. Cody tried. They didn’t see any value in it. So after years of that, I started thinking could it be too late for this match to take place? I am 50 years old. Could I give a performance for my brother Cody, for the wrestling world and the fans that I could be proud of? So I was nervous. I was scared.

The competition is fierce right now. It’s very athletic, very fast. The talent are young, hungry [and] passionate, and here I am 31 years in the business. Of course I said yes to Cody, but I had that thing in the back of my head. I was very scared, very nervous how the AEW crowd would take to me because I had been WWE for so so long, and I heard they were different crowds. I was nervous at all kinds of things. I lived in my head for way too long leading up to that match.

You can check out the podcast HERE.

Credit: AEW Unrestricted. H/T WrestlingInc.