WWE star Cody Rhodes has revealed that he recently signed what he considers to be his final in-ring contract, estimating that he has roughly six or seven years left as an active competitor. Speaking with host Chris Van Vliet in Atlanta, Georgia, during an episode of the Insight podcast published on October 22, 2026, the 41-year-old performer outlined a tentative horizon for hanging up his wrestling boots while promoting his role in the theatrical release of Street Fighter. Rhodes noted that his motivation to eventually step away stems not from physical limitations, but from a desire to expand his acting career and avoid overstaying his welcome with audiences.

A Tentative Timeline and His Final WWE Deal

During the interview on ChrisVanVliet.com, Rhodes addressed past remarks in which he claimed he would retire at age 40, joking that he had told "an old Cody lie." When pressed on how much longer he plans to compete after signing his newest deal, Rhodes offered a candid assessment of his remaining run.

"I just signed my last contract. I say last contract, but that's going to go for a while," Rhodes said, according to F4W/WON. "With all that said, my time with WWE could go—I mean, just to give you a real answer here, and not politic around you, probably seven years. Yeah, six, seven years. I'd say so. Yeah, and I don't want to say that in a final sense. I just know that I don't want to overstay my welcome."

While Rhodes cautioned that his six-to-seven-year window was a rough estimate rather than a definitive announcement, Wrestling Inc. reports that the projection places his official in-ring retirement around 2032 or 2033, which would make him 47 or 48 years old. There is also a slight discrepancy regarding the exact length of his new agreement; while Rhodes did not disclose the specific term of his deal during the podcast, a report by SEScoops via NewsBreak notes that The New York Times previously reported the WWE extension as a five-year contract.

Regardless of the exact calendar date, Rhodes was firm about one personal boundary when Van Vliet brought up fellow wrestler AJ Styles' desire to retire before turning 50. "Well, I definitely don't want to wrestle into my 50s," Rhodes said. "No shame to anyone who wrestles in their 50s. I don't want to overstay my welcome."

Addressing 'Cody Fatigue' and Giving Back

A central theme of Rhodes' reflection was the balance between what he has sacrificed for professional wrestling and the platform the industry has given him since his 2006 debut. Now a three-time world champion in WWE who has been feuding with former mentor Randy Orton on SmackDown, Rhodes suggested that every top performer eventually reaches a point of diminishing returns with the fanbase.

"I have shed so much of my skin for the industry, but I have also been given so, so, so much," Rhodes explained. "I think there's a point where you have to stop taking. I'm not there, but there's a point, and I think that's in that time frame, a point where you just have to stop taking. It's given me everything."

He went on to quip that "Cody fatigue is already pretty set in." However, when asked directly if he actually feels that exhaustion from live WWE crowds, Rhodes walked back the certainty of the statement, responding, "Well, no, maybe. But I think you can only go so far, and you're only supposed to go so far."

While outlets such as Cageside Seats framed the remark as a brief admission that fan fatigue is setting in before backtracking, Yahoo Sports noted that significant goodwill remains for the performer, even if the intense momentum that carried him into WrestleMania XL has naturally cooled. On a recent episode of Monday Night Raw, longtime rival Roman Reigns even worked the concept into a promo, claiming the WWE Championship has meant less since Rhodes captured it at WrestleMania XL.

Hollywood Ambitions and 'Street Fighter'

Rhodes' timeline is also shaped by his growing presence in film and television. According to Fightful, Rhodes filmed his role as Guile in the live-action adaptation of Capcom's Street Fighter—which also features Roman Reigns as Akuma—after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2025, with other talent filling in on television during his absence. The film opened in theaters on October 16, 2026.

Reflecting on his career progression from a WWE mid-card talent with a ceiling right above his head to starring in a major studio franchise he played as a child, Rhodes expressed a desire to increase his Hollywood workload. He told Van Vliet that he hopes to film "not just one movie, but perhaps two movies" in a year as his schedule permits.

Unfinished Business With The Rock

Before his eventual exit from the ring, fans remain curious about whether Rhodes will ever have a singles match against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. As detailed by Wrestling On Fannation, Johnson pinned Rhodes during the tag team main event on Night One of WrestleMania XL, before Rhodes defeated Reigns the following night. The rivalry escalated at Elimination Chamber in March 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, when Rhodes refused to align with Johnson, prompting a heel turn by John Cena, who joined Johnson and rapper Travis Scott in attacking Rhodes. Although Cena went on to defeat Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 to secure his 17th world title, Johnson has not appeared on WWE programming since that night in Toronto.

Asked if a one-on-one bout with Johnson is still on the table, Rhodes left the door open while deferring to the Hollywood star's schedule.

"It's not that I'm evading that answer. It's that I don't really know how to answer, because I think personally, he has a couple of matches probably left to do," Rhodes said. "I think that personally, but I also know looking at WrestleMania XL... He could easily say that was a great final piece as a performer in a wrestling ring. That'll be up to him. That'll certainly be up to him if there's more and what those matches might be. I don't think any wrestler would ever look you in the eye and tell you they wouldn't want a match like that."

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cody Rhodes' six-to-seven-year retirement timeline final?

No. While Rhodes estimated he has six or seven years left in WWE, he explicitly stated during the interview that he did not want to say that "in a final sense," framing it as a general target to avoid wrestling into his 50s.

When would this estimate place his retirement?

Based on the October 2026 interview date, a six-to-seven-year window projects a potential retirement in 2032 or 2033, when Rhodes will be 47 or 48 years old.

How long is Cody Rhodes' final WWE contract?

Rhodes did not confirm the exact length of the deal in his interview, saying only that it will last "for a while." A separate secondary report attributed to The New York Times indicated the extension is for five years, leaving a slight gap between the reported contract term and his six-to-seven-year wrestling estimate.

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