After tonight’s AEW Dynamite went off the air, Cody spoke to the crowd and revealed that he’s now able to once again use the name “Cody Rhodes.”
“As of this morning, I no longer just have one name,” he said. “Whether Justin Roberts says it or not, it feels really good to be Cody Rhodes again!”
🚨CODY RHODES IS BACK🚨
“It feels REALLY good to be @CodyRhodes again.”#AEWDynamite Post-Show pic.twitter.com/6TAvqtmd9c
— Florida Wrestling Fan (@FLWrestlingFan) November 5, 2020
Cody’s birth name is Cody Runnels, but he legally changed his name to Cody Rhodes as a teenager.
WWE had owned the trademark for the name “Cody Rhodes” since 2007 and has prevented Cody from using the name as a wrestler since he left the company in 2016.
But as of November 3, WWE has voluntarily surrendered” the trademark to the name.
In November 2019, Cody filed to trademark “The Match Beyond,” “Slamboree,” “Superbrawl” and other names, which WWE filed an opposition to. As of November 2, Cody abandoned his claim to the trademarks, indicating that he and WWE may have worked out a deal in exchange for the “Cody Rhodes” trademark.