Backstage News on WWE Granting Cody Rhodes His Release & The Split Being Less Than Amicable, Original Stardust Creative Plans & More

May 23, 2016

As noted over the weekend, Cody Rhodes requested his release from WWE and it was granted.

In an official statement released following his WWE departure, Cody Rhodes revealed that he had been pleading with WWE creative over the last few months to drop the Stardust character and allow him to go back to being Cody Rhodes. Back in March, Rhodes began teasing the end of Stardust and the return of Cody Rhodes, and according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, the plan in WWE as of before WrestleMania 32 was to indeed drop the Stardust character and have Rhodes return to being Cody. The character drop was supposed to take place either around WrestleMania 32 or the night after.

For whatever reason, Vince McMahon and Triple H, more Vince McMahon, ultimately decided the character drop was not going to happen, and that Rhodes would remain Stardust.

Meltzer went on to explain that despite Rhodes being released from WWE, officials are forcing Rhodes to adhere to the remainder of his contract, which limits his current pro wrestling options. Meltzer added the split between WWE and Rhodes was not amicable, and WWE is “kind of putting the screws to [Rhodes]” by forcing him to ride out the rest of his contract.

Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.

Nick attended New York University and graduated in 2001 with a degree in Drama.

Nick first entered the internet wrestling community back in 2004 when he became the co-host of The Voice of Wrestling Radio Show. From there, Nick made the transition from radio personality to editor when he began working with WrestleZone in 2008.

Nick is a member of two Off-Broadway theatre companies, Another Urban Riff, and the Drama Desk Award winning Godlight Theatre Company. Nick has appeared in over a dozen Off-Broadway plays since he moved to New York City, and has shot several short and feature length films. In 2010, he completed principle photography on a film titled "How to Score Your Life," which also features TNA Knockout ODB.

Inspiration in his life has come from many people including his family, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson, The Beatles, and of course, Lassie.