In another lifetime, AEW/ROH star Lee Johnson was one of the proteges of Cody Rhodes, and a member of Rhodes’ AEW stable the Nightmare Family. That all changed in early 2022, however, when Rhodes shockingly departed AEW, a promotion he helped found, to return to WWE, where he’s since claimed the Undisputed WWE Championship and solidified himself as one of the top stars in all of wrestling.

In an interview with “Ruthless Talk” nearly two weeks ago, Johnson spoke about the mentorship he received from Rhodes, Rhodes’ brother Dustin, and Rhodes’ former manager Arn Anderson. He also revealed what the backstage reaction, as well as his own, was to Rhodes leaving AEW for WWE.

“Just shock I guess is the only word I can say,” Johnson said. “I was very shocked. But also, I understand that Cody had to do whatever it was that Cody felt was best for him. So I always have a lot of love for him. So yeah, I guess just shock was really just all that I felt in the moment. And I’m sure a lot of wrestling fans, a lot of co-workers, ect., probably felt the same way.”

Johnson would have a tough couple of years with both AEW and ROH following Rhodes’ departure, missing four months of action in 2022 due to injury, and an additional three months in 2023. He has since found his footing in ROH, however, including having notable matches with Kyle Fletcher, who Johnson unsuccessfully challenged for the ROH TV Championship at Supercard of Honor. He has since formed a tag team with former WWE and MLW star EJ Nduka.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Ruthless Talk” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription