Cody Rhodes is one of the latest additions to the list of superstars who got released. Cody is a second generation wrestler, son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes (Virgil Runnels Jr. and younger brother of Dustin Runnels (Goldust). Cody was one of the most talented wrestlers on the roster and his gimmick was holding him back.
Reading Cody’s post after his release is almost heart-wrenching. He gave it all for the company but it just wasn’t enough. He revealed that he pleaded for a title run and made pitches to writers, Triple H and even Vince McMahon, but sadly to no avail. Rhodes was one of those guys that wasn’t in the business for the money, he did it because he loved it. Rhodes left because he was tired of his gimmick. He wanted to make his own mark, although he deeply loved and respected his father and loves his brother, Cody said he didn’t really want to follow in their footsteps.
He Was A Second Generation Superstar Who Didn’t Disappoint
In the wrestling business, especially the WWE, having family members make their names before you can count for a lot (case in point, Roman Reigns). But, it also means that fans will expect a lot of things from you. A lot of second generation wrestlers failed to fill the shoes of their father (Sim Snuka) or other relatives. Cody Rhodes was one of those guys that didn’t disappoint. He could go toe to toe with almost any wrestler. He knew how to work an audience.He didn’t have to rely on his father or brother a lot, even with his initial gimmicks. I bet Dusty Rhodes was proud of him and Dustin Rhodes always will be.
He Can Play Both Heel And Face
Cody Rhodes is perhaps one of the greatest heels of the current era. He just made you hate him with his smug, cocky attitude. Rhodes showed shades of his talent as a heel when he turned on Hardcore Holly to join forces with another second generation superstar, Ted DiBiase. Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. went on to team up with Randy Orton and they formed one of the best heel stables of all time, Legacy. Later he turned on Randy Orton too. He showed how brutal he can be during their feud with Degeneration-X. His heel run after his nose broke and he started wearing a protective mask was awesome too. He also showed that he can play a great face when he teamed with his brother Goldust to take on the SHIELD.
He Is Charismatic And Has Brilliant In-Ring Skills
He is charismatic, he is brilliant in the ring and he looks good too. What more do you want from a wrestler? I bet his grooming tips helped out a lot of guys too. He made you loathe him as a heel, he made you sympathize with him while he was feuding with the SHIELD and he did amazing promos. They were actually believable, which is more than you can say about the current champion. He even brought the white Intercontinental Championship belt back.
His in ring abilities are amazing and he has an awesome finisher, Cross Rhodes. The fact that he didn’t have a fixed or definitive move-set always made his matches entertaining because there were times when he really surprised you. He has put on some stellar matches, the most notable of which being the Street Fight against Randy Orton on SmackDown, the Wrestlemania XXVII match against Rey Mysterio, The Rhodes Brothers vs The SHIELD at Battleground, and who can forget the Money in The Bank ladder match from 2013. We all thought that was when Cody Rhodes would receive the push that he deserved, but alas it never happened.
He Nailed His Gimmicks
Cody Rhodes has had his share of good and workable gimmicks, but he had also become a victim of bad gimmicks as well. But Cody didn’t back down and he milked his gimmicks for all they were worth. It’s incredible how he made some of his gimmicks work. His run with Hardcore Holly may not have been that great, but he made one heck of a heel turn at the end of their run. Going heel helped him make his mark as a member of Legacy. As a group Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. were cocky, brutal and cold. Legacy brought out a ruthless side of Cody we hadn’t seen before and it really helped him developed.
The Rhodes Scholars team, formed alongside another wrestler who got screwed over, Damien Sandow was pretty good too. Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes fit well together as a tag team, and their similarities, as well as their differences complimented one another. His run with his brother was also enjoyable and he proved that he can play a great a babyface.
Cody worked well when he was part of a team but he also worked well on his own. His Dashing Cody Rhodes gimmick is something that fans still talk about today and his heel run where he wore the protective mask was awesome as well.
Lastly, he played his Stardust gimmick to perfection. It seemed fun for a while but it went on too long. Cody Rhodes still managed to put on amazing shows and entertain crowds despite the fact that he didn’t want to play Stardust anymore. The point is, Cody had several different gimmicks during his time with WWE. Some of them were better than others, but Cody played all of them perfectly.
