EXCLUSIVE: QT Marshall Thought Cody Rhodes Would Go Back To WWE Before AEW Was Founded

While Cody Rhodes looked set to remain with All Elite Wrestling for the remainder of his in-ring career only a few months ago, The American Nightmare and wife Brandi Rhodes suddenly departed the promotion in February of 2022. 

Cody has since signed with WWE, re-debuting in the company at WrestleMania 38, but this doesn't mean he has severed ties with AEW and QT Marshall revealed on Desert Island Graps that he still speaks to Rhodes every day.

"We talk every day. He doesn't go into full detail about what's going to happen when he's about to go out there but we still communicate. He's the closest thing I have to a best friend, I guess. He's somebody that really went above and beyond to open a door for me and he'll be the first to tell you he opened the door. I did all the work but sometimes you do need someone to open the door for you and he was willing to do it," QT said. 

Marshall noted that being connected to Cody made him work even harder because he thought Rhodes would ultimately return to WWE prior to AEW being founded in January 2019. 

"At the same time, I was willing to work really hard and also knowing that his name and reputation was kind of stamped onto my back, it made me work even harder because at the end of the day I thought he would go back to WWE before AEW had become a thing. I was like, I'm gonna train Brandi [Rhodes], I'll work out with Cody for All In, all this stuff, but eventually he's going to go back to WWE because there was no AEW and I'm okay with that."

The Factory leader then commented on Cody re-signing with WWE and QT admitted that while it sucks that Rhodes isn't in AEW anymore, he's "super happy" for his friend. 

"So yeah, we still speak all the time. I'm super happy for him. I think this is something he really needed to do for himself, personally. We've all been there, we've all had those, no pun intended, crossroads in our careers where we have to decide what's better for us, personally. And that sounds selfish but at the end of the day, you can only make other people happy if you're happy and if you're not happy you'll never be able to make anyone else happy...It sucks going to work every week without him there, that is the bad part. But the good is man, watching Raw last night, I DVR'd it and I flicked it on and I got to see his segments and I think this is exactly probably what he wanted. This is why he left in the first place - he wanted to come back and be treated like this," Marshall added.

Check out QT Marshall's full appearance on Desert Island Graps here.