Rhodes also addressed the sense of protection he has for AEW. He reasoned that it went beyond the emotional connection he has with the promotion and the talent he worked with, but rather that its existence is a net positive for the wrestling industry as a whole. 

"It's very important that they [AEW] hang in there," said Rhodes. "Because if that was to go away I don't think anybody in the locker room has any clue the financial repercussions that would have on the wrestling business. The trickle down effect it would then have on independent wrestling. We've created a really comfortable environment in sports entertainment, for men and women to feed their families and to do well ... I would hate to see that bubble burst. So that's another random fear I have, when they're down or if they're up or whatever it may be."

Rhodes has said before that he can't and won't disclose why he made the decision to leave AEW. However, he would dismiss money on the table or issues with fellow talent as relevant to the situation. Rather, he simply said he had left because of a personal issue, which of course allowed him to re-focus on becoming the first Rhodes to hold the WWE Championship. He has also revealed to Steve Austin that he didn't want to become a gatekeeper, a role he had been booked into when it was stipulated he could never challenge for the AEW World Championship in a loss to Chris Jericho.