As noted, former WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes was the first guest on WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair’s brand new “Ric Flair Show” podcast. Below are some of the highlights from the interview, which you can listen to in full at RicFlairShow.com.

Regarding some of the rumors going around about his WWE release, Rhodes told Flair that despite what some people are saying, his WWE departure was not merely a plot to get rid of his “Stardust” character, but instead a legitimate release that he personally requested.

“There are a lot of motivations for my departure from WWE, but, certainly, like, wanting to prove something. I can tell you 100% that WWE and myself have gone separate ways. I saw even there was a rumor about, like, a merchandising contract, but I think that might extend from the fact that the only discussion, post-WWE, was about my dad’s books and it was very important to me that they granted me the rights to write his book before I left, but it was important. I knew that was one of the big risks I was taking with leaving.”

Additionally, Rhodes spoke about Dolph Ziggler being able to handle himself a little better than some might think. As Rhodes explains, Ziggler has put his amateur wrestling talents on display in the past, and he’s as real as Brock Lesnar or Jack Swagger. just not as big.

“He’s a very tough kid and he’s one of those [guys] who has the earned reputation, backstage at least, of ‘you’re going to get tied up if this goes further’. He’s the real deal. I think that people forget because he’s not necessarily as big as Brock Lesnar or Jack Swagger or some of the guys with an amateur acumen, Dolph Ziggler is like Kent State’s most winning wrestler. That man, when he wants to, we had a couple [of matches]. [Flair] watched him in that referee’s position that one time, there were a couple of nights where I was a little worried and then getting a little pissed too, like, ‘well, I’m going to give him the best thing I find in Georgia, the old double leg something.'”

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