Cody Rhodes American professional wrestler
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes is an American professional wrestler. As of April 2022, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and as of April 2024, he is the current Undisputed WWE Champion, recognized as both the WWE Champion and WWE Universal Champion in his first reign with each
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Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (born Cody Garrett Runnels; June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. As of April 2022, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and as of April 2024, he is the current Undisputed WWE Champion, recognized as both the WWE Champion and WWE Universal Champion in his first reign with each. He is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) from 2019 to 2022, where he served as an executive vice president and was the inaugural and a record-setting three-time AEW TNT Champion.
The son of wrestler Dusty Rhodes and the half-brother of wrestler Dustin Rhodes, he rose to prominence during his first tenure with WWE from 2006 to 2016. He adopted various gimmicks under his real name before being repackaged as a melodramatic spin-off of Dustin's Goldust character named Stardust. He also wrestled for promotions such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Ring of Honor (ROH). Outside of wrestling, he served as a judge on the competition series Go-Big Show and starred with his wife Brandi Rhodes on the reality show Rhodes to the Top.
After an amateur wrestling career that earned him two Georgia state championships, Rhodes joined WWE in 2006 and was initially assigned to its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he became a Triple Crown Champion. He joined WWE's main roster in 2007 and throughout his WWE career, became a two-time Intercontinental Champion and a prolific tag team wrestler, winning eight world tag team championships (three World Tag Team Championships, four WWE/Raw Tag Team Championships, and one SmackDown Tag Team Championship) with five separate partners; his fourth Raw Tag Team Championship and one SmackDown Tag Team Championship were held together as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.[8]
Following his departure from WWE in May 2016, Rhodes began wrestling on the independent circuit and making several appearances in TNA, where he wrestled under the mononym Cody due to WWE owning the "Cody Rhodes" name until giving it up in 2020.[9] From early 2016 to early 2017, he competed at WWE's WrestleMania, NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom, and ROH's Final Battle events, as well as appearing for TNA's Bound for Glory event. In September 2017, he wrestled in ROH, where he became a one-time ROH World Champion. He would later become a one-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion in NJPW and a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson). In 2018, Rhodes, along with the Jacksons, promoted an independent pay-per-view event called All In that took place in September, where he won the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, marking the first time the championship had been won by both a father and son.[10][11] This event marked a significant moment in professional wrestling history by becoming the first non-WWE or World Championship Wrestling (WCW) promoted event in the United States to sell 10,000 tickets since 1993. The success of All In was instrumental in inspiring the formation of AEW in January 2019.
In January 2019, Rhodes was named as an executive vice president of the newly formed AEW, where he would also wrestle. While there, became the inaugural AEW TNT Champion. After failing to negotiate a new contract, he departed AEW in February 2022. Two months later, he returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 and defeated Seth "Freakin" Rollins. He then won both the 2023 and 2024 men's Royal Rumble matches, becoming the fourth wrestler to achieve back-to-back victories at the event and the first since "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (who won in 1997 and 1998). At WrestleMania XL, Rhodes won his first world championship in the WWE: winning two world heavyweight championships simultaneously; as well as ending Roman Reigns' WWE Universal Championship reign of 1,316 days, in the process becoming a WWE Triple Crown winner.
Rhodes was born Cody Garrett Runnels in Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 30, 1985,[12] the son of Michelle Rubio and professional wrestler Dusty Rhodes. He is of Cuban descent through his maternal grandfather.[13] He has a sister named Teil in addition to his paternal half-brother and fellow professional wrestler Dustin and a paternal half-sister named Kristin, who is a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.[14] He is the nephew of professional wrestlers Jerry Sags and Fred Ottman,[15] and the godson of professional wrestler Magnum T. A.,[16] who was present at both Rhodes' birth and baptism.[17] He legally changed his surname to "Runnels Rhodes" as a teenager.[18][19]
Rhodes attended Lassiter High School and had a successful high school wrestling career.[12] He placed sixth in the 171 lb (78 kg) division as a sophomore.[20] As a junior, he won the Georgia state tournament at 189 lb (86 kg) in 2003 and repeated as champion his senior year.[20] He had planned to wrestle collegiately at Penn State University, but decided to become a professional wrestler instead.[21] During his time in high school, Rhodes also acted as a referee in his father's Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling promotion.[22] After graduating high school, Rhodes attended Howard Fine Acting School in Los Angeles for a year. [23][24]
Rhodes credits his father for starting to train him as a wrestler from the age of 12, which was limited mainly to simple fundamentals. From there, his training was provided by Al Snow, Danny Davis, Randy Orton, and Ricky Morton.[25] Using his birth name Cody Runnels, he began wrestling in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) on May 13, 2006.[12][26] He formed a tag team with Shawn Spears in mid-August 2006 and won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship twice.[12][27] He also won the OVW Heavyweight Championship[12][28] and the OVW Television Championship.[12][29]
On the July 2, 2007, episode of Raw, Runnels made his television debut, using his family's wrestling last name, Rhodes, in a backstage segment with his father Dusty Rhodes and Randy Orton, where Orton introduced himself to Rhodes and then slapped Dusty as a sign of disrespect.[30] Cody Rhodes made his main roster in-ring debut losing to Randy Orton via pinfall on the July 16, 2007, episode of Raw.[31] Rhodes appeared at The Great American Bash to prevent Orton from further attacking his father.[32] The next night on Raw, Rhodes challenged Orton to a rematch from the previous week, only to lose again. Orton followed this up by kicking Rhodes' father in the head.[33]
On September, he began a feud with Hardcore Holly and lost three consecutive matches to him.[34][35][36] Later, they would work as a tag team and they defeated Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch on the Raw 15th Anniversary special episode for the World Tag Team Championship, marking Rhodes' first championship in WWE.[37][38]
In May 2008, Ted DiBiase began feuding with the duo, threatening to take their titles in his first match as part of the Raw brand.[39] At the pay-per-view event, Night of Champions on June 29, Rhodes turned on Holly by revealing himself as Ted DiBiase's partner to help DiBiase win the match and also become a two-time World Tag Team Champion.[40][41]
After holding the championship for just over a month, they dropped it to John Cena and Batista on the August 4, 2008, episode of Raw, but regained it the next week.[42][43][44] Rhodes and DiBiase were then joined by Manu, the son of Afa, in September, forming a stable of multi-generational wrestlers.[45] On the October 27 Raw, Rhodes and DiBiase lost the World Tag Team Championship to Kofi Kingston and CM Punk.[46]
On November they began a storyline with Orton and, at Survivor Series, Rhodes, along with Orton, was a survivor, for Orton's team, in the annual Elimination match.[47] The three of them created a stable with Orton called The Legacy.[48][49]
As part of the Legacy, Rhodes entered the Royal Rumble match in order to help Orton win, and lasted until the final three, before being eliminated by Triple H.[50] Rhodes and DiBiase became involved in Orton's scripted rivalry with the McMahon family, helping him to attack Shane and Stephanie McMahon, and Stephanie's real-life husband, Triple H.[51][52] Rhodes was elevated to main event status as a result of joining the Legacy, competing in handicap and six-man tag team matches against Orton's opponents and rivals.[53][54]
On April 26 at Backlash, Rhodes, DiBiase, and Orton defeated Triple H, Batista, and Shane McMahon in a six-man tag team match, which, per the pre-match stipulation, resulted in Orton winning the WWE Championship.[55] Rhodes suffered a minor neck injury in June, but continued working.[56]
Throughout mid-2009, Rhodes and DiBiase continued to compete against and attack Orton's rivals, especially Triple H.[57] This led to Triple H reforming D-Generation X (DX) with Shawn Michaels, and DX defeated Rhodes and DiBiase at SummerSlam.[58] Rhodes and DiBiase defeated DX at the following pay-per-view, Breaking Point in a submissions count anywhere match, but were defeated in a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in October, when Rhodes was pinned following a sledgehammer shot to the head.[59][60] Rhodes represented Team Raw at the first Bragging Rights pay-per-view in October, reluctantly teaming with DX. The match would go on to be won by Team SmackDown. At Survivor Series, having aided Orton in his feud with Kofi Kingston, was part of Team Orton (against Team Kingston) alongside DiBiase. Kingston would lastly eliminate Orton in the match to be sole survivor.
Tension within The Legacy became apparent at the 2010 Royal Rumble, when Rhodes attempted to interfere in Orton's match for the WWE Championship. Rhodes was caught by the referee, resulting in a disqualification for Orton, who attacked Rhodes and DiBiase, who had tried to help Rhodes, after the match.[61] On the February 15 Raw, Orton took on Sheamus in a non-title rematch, but was again disqualified after Rhodes and DiBiase interfered.[62] During the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match pay-per-view, Rhodes interfered, passing a lead pipe through the cage to DiBiase. DiBiase hit Orton with the pipe and eliminated him from the match.[63] The next night on Raw, Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase during a six-man tag team match, and they attacked Orton the following week in retaliation.[64][65] This led to a triple threat match at WrestleMania XXVI, in which Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase.[66]
As part of the 2010 WWE supplemental draft, Rhodes was drafted to the SmackDown brand.[67] He made his debut for the brand on the April 30 SmackDown, by defeating John Morrison.[68] The following week on SmackDown, Rhodes participated in a tournament for the vacant WWE Intercontinental Championship, but lost to Christian in the semi-finals.[69] Rhodes mentored Husky Harris, a third-generation wrestler, in the second season of NXT.[70][71] Rhodes would participate in the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match at the first ever Money in the Bank pay-per-view event but was unsuccessful as the match was won by Kane.
On the June 25 SmackDown, Rhodes began a new narcissistic gimmick, claiming to be the best-looking wrestler in WWE and demanding to be called "Dashing" Cody Rhodes.[72] As part of the gimmick, vignettes began airing in which Rhodes gave "grooming tips".[73][74] He was extremely protective of his face during matches; if he was hit in the face, he threw a fit and checked his mirror.[75][76] In September, he attacked Christian along with Drew McIntyre after a match, and the duo also attacked Matt Hardy, forming an alliance. At Night of Champions in September, Rhodes and McIntyre captured the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Tag Team Turmoil match.[77] At Bragging Rights, Rhodes and McIntyre lost the championship to The Nexus (John Cena and David Otunga).[78] On the October 29 SmackDown, after losing a tag team match, Rhodes and McIntyre dissolved their partnership.[79]
On January 21, 2011, Rhodes faced Rey Mysterio in a match, during which Mysterio hit Rhodes in the face with his exposed knee brace and legitimately broke Rhodes' nose,[80][81] which led to Rhodes declaring he was no longer dashing and had required facial reconstructive surgery.[82] Rhodes was off television for several weeks. Upon his return, he wore a clear protective mask over his face and colluded with his father to attack Mysterio and remove Mysterio's mask on the February 25 SmackDown.[83] Rhodes then regularly used his protective mask as a weapon during matches by headbutting opponents and using it to hit his opponents.[84][85][86] In 2020, Rhodes said his time as Undashing Cody Rhodes was his second most successful work as a pro wrestler.[87] Rhodes defeated Mysterio in a match at WrestleMania XXVII on April 3.[88] The duo also faced off in a Falls Count Anywhere match at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view in May, which was won by Mysterio.[89]
On subsequent episodes of SmackDown following WrestleMania XXVII, Rhodes, with the help of assistants, would hand out paper bags to the audience during his promos. Rhodes demanded the audience to put on the paper bags on their heads to cover their ugliness and imperfections, because they offended him.[90] Rhodes also put paper bags over several of his opponents' heads after matches with them.[91][92] Rhodes reformed his alliance with Ted DiBiase on the May 20 SmackDown, and the duo went on to feud with Sin Cara and Daniel Bryan.[93][94][95] At the second annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Rhodes participated in the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match, but was unsuccessful as Bryan won the match.[96]
At the August 9 tapings of the August 12 SmackDown, Rhodes defeated Ezekiel Jackson to win the Intercontinental Championship, his first singles title with the company.[97][98] The following week, Rhodes and DiBiase had a verbal confrontation with Orton. The following week, Rhodes attacked DiBiase after the latter lost a singles match to Orton, ending their alliance and resulting in an Intercontinental Championship match between the two at Night of Champions, which Rhodes won.[99][100] Simultaneously, Rhodes had begun a feud with Orton, with Orton defeating Rhodes on the September 9 SmackDown,[101] but Rhodes defeated Orton on the September 12 Raw SuperShow when Mark Henry distracted Orton.[102] On the September 23 SmackDown, Rhodes defeated Orton by disqualification when Orton took Rhodes' mask off and hit him with it.[103] Post-match, Orton attacked Rhodes with the timekeeper's bell, legitimately cutting Rhodes and causing him to bleed.[104] The following week on SmackDown, Rhodes claimed he needed nine staples to close the wound.[105]
At the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 2, Rhodes debuted a new design for the Intercontinental Championship, which included a white strap and plates similar to the title's classic 1980s design, before successfully defending it against John Morrison.[106] Throughout October, Rhodes continued feuding with Orton, explaining that Orton had mistreated him during their time together as part of Legacy, costing him the World Heavyweight Championship and attacking him.[107][108] At Vengeance, Rhodes was defeated by Orton in a non-title match.[109] On the November 4 SmackDown, Orton defeated Rhodes in a Street Fight to end the feud; in the process, Orton broke Rhodes' mask.[110] On the November 14 Raw SuperShow, Rhodes reappeared without his mask, claiming that Orton had set him free, signalling the end of his masked gimmick.[111] At Survivor Series, Rhodes was sole survivor alongside Team Captain Wade Barrett in their traditional Survivor Series match against Team Orton.
Rhodes then feuded with SmackDown commentator Booker T, attacking him from behind on several occasions and successfully retaining the Intercontinental Championship against him at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs and on the January 6, 2012 SmackDown.[112][113] In the 2012 Royal Rumble match, Rhodes lasted over 40 minutes and eliminated more wrestlers than other any other competitor with six, before he was eliminated by Big Show.[114][115] At Elimination Chamber Rhodes pinned Big Show in the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match, before being eliminated by Santino Marella.[116][117] Rhodes spent the following weeks highlighting Big Show's embarrassing moments in previous WrestleManias, often costing Big Show to lose matches in the process.[118] At WrestleMania XXVIII, Rhodes lost the Intercontinental Championship to Big Show, ending his near eight-month reign of 233 days.[119]
Following the loss at WrestleMania, Rhodes went on a brief losing streak, due to Big Show distracting him during matches.[120] Four weeks after losing the title, Rhodes regained it at Extreme Rules by defeating Big Show in a Tables match.[121] On the May 7 episode of Raw SuperShow, Rhodes retained his title against Big Show in a rematch after getting himself counted out.[122] Two weeks later at Over the Limit, Rhodes lost the Intercontinental Championship to the returning Christian. He would go on to lose to Christian in a rematch for the title at No Way Out.[123] On the June 29 SmackDown, Rhodes and David Otunga were defeated by Christian and United States Champion Santino Marella in a Money in the Bank qualification match for the World Heavyweight Championship, due to Otunga being pinned.[124] Afterwards, Rhodes claimed that he had not lost and demanded another chance.[124] Four days later on Super SmackDown Live, the WWE Board of Directors granted Rhodes another shot and he defeated Christian to earn a spot in the match.[125] At Money in the Bank, he was unsuccessful as the match was won by Dolph Ziggler.[126] On September 16 at Night of Champions, Rhodes failed to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal-four-way match, also involving Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara.[127]
Rhodes then aligned himself with Damien Sandow, attacking Tag Team Champions Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) on the September 24 Raw.[128] The team, now known as "Rhodes Scholars", won a Tag Team Championship tournament to become the number one contenders to the Tag Team Championship, but they were defeated by the champions twice.[129][130][131] Rhodes suffered a concussion and a strained shoulder, resulting in him being removed from his traditional five-on-five tag team match at Survivor Series.[132]
After he returned from injury, sporting a mustache, he and Sandow worked as a tag team, facing the champions Team Hell No twice: one at Main Event[133] and another at the Royal Rumble. They would also be joined by The Bella Twins, as they began feuding with Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) and The Funkadactyls (Cameron and Naomi).[134][135][136] The two teams were originally booked to face each other in an eight-person mixed tag team match on April 7 at WrestleMania 29,[137] but their match was cut due to time constraints.[138] The match instead took place the following night on Raw, where Tons of Funk and The Funkadactyls emerged victorious.[139]
On July 14 at Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Rhodes competed in the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank ladder match, which was won by Damien Sandow after Sandow turned on Rhodes and threw him off of the ladder just as Rhodes was about to win the match.[140] The following night on Raw, Rhodes attacked Sandow and dissolved Team Rhodes Scholars, turning face for the first time since 2008.[141] They feuded over the briefcase, which Rhodes threw into the Gulf of Mexico.[142] On August 18 at SummerSlam, now no longer sporting a mustache, Rhodes defeated Sandow in a singles match,[143] and did so again the following night on Raw.[144]
In September 2013, Rhodes started a storyline with his brother against Triple H. After Rhodes was defeated by Orton, he was fired in storyline.[145] This was put in place to give Rhodes time off for his marriage and honeymoon to Brandi Reed. Over the next few weeks, Rhodes' brother Goldust also lost to Orton with Cody's reinstatement on the line, while his father Dusty Rhodes was knocked out by Big Show while pleading for his sons to get their jobs back.[146][147] In return, the vengeful Rhodes brothers gatecrashed Raw by attacking The Shield.[148]
On October 6 at Battleground, Rhodes and Goldust defeated the WWE Tag Team Champions, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in a non-title match with the stipulation that they would be resigned again.[149] On October 14 episode of Raw, they defeated The Shield in a No Disqualification match to become Tag Team Champions.[150] The Rhodes brothers then retain the titles for months, over opponents which included the former champions The Shield,[151] until they lost them at the Royal Rumble to The New Age Outlaws.
On the June 16 Raw, Rhodes debuted a new character called Stardust (a ring name also previously used by his father during his time in American Wrestling Association), with face paint, a bodysuit and mannerisms similar to those of Goldust. He teamed with his brother to defeat RybAxel that night and then at both Money in the Bank and on Raw.[152] On the August 18 Raw, Stardust and Goldust defeated the WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos in a non-title match.[153] This led to a rematch on the August 25 Raw, where Stardust and Goldust defeated The Usos via countout, but did not win the titles. After the match, both Stardust and Goldust attacked The Usos. At Night of Champions, Stardust and Goldust defeated the Usos to become WWE Tag Team Champions for their second reign as a team.[154] At Hell in a Cell, they successfully retained against The Usos. They lost the title to Damien Mizdow and The Miz in a fatal four-way tag team match also involving The Usos and Los Matadores the next month at Survivor Series, while also losing a rematch the next night on Raw. At TLC they lost to the newly formed team The New Day.
On February, the team disbanded after Cody executed Cross Rhodes on Goldust.[155] This led to a match between Goldust and Stardust at Fastlane, which Goldust won.[156] The brothers tried to have a match at WrestleMania, but the WWE Chairman Vince McMahon did not book the match, since he felt the match was not good enough for WrestleMania.[157]
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