How WWE Failed Cody Rhodes

How the WWE mismanaged the ultra-talented Cody Rhodes.

In 2006, a then 21-year-old Cody Rhodes decided to enter the world of professional wrestling. With an undeniable wrestling pedigree, Rhodes seemed like a potential future star. His father, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, was one of the most charismatic and popular wrestlers of the 70’s and 80’s while his brother, Dustin “Goldust” Rhodes, had been all over the pro wrestling map for close to 30 years. Heck, two of his uncles, Typhoon, and Sags of The Nasty Boys had been WWE superstars, and even his uncle, Magnum T.A. had been on the cusp of superstardom before an injury ended his career. Needless to say, the business was in his blood.

Cody had the total package. What his Dad lacked in physical appearance, he had in spades. Where his brother battled his demons, Cody was clean as a whistle. And one thing was clear about the Rhodes boys, they were all extremely talented in the ring and Cody, athleticism-wise may possibly have been the best.

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When Cody turned heel in June of 2008, he took the opportunity by storm. The handsome babyface proved he could play the villain just as well as the hero and he began to illicit some of the best work of his early career while teaming up with another criminally under-used star in Ted Dibiasi Jr.

For the next seven years, Cody took every gimmick handed to him and worked them brilliantly. He went from being a vicious cog in the Randy Orton-led Legacy to portraying the most handsome man in the company dubbing himself “Dashing”, to tagging with his brother, then feuding with his brother, and then tagging with him again. Along the way, he snatched up six tag team championships, and two Intercontinental titles, while being one of the most consistent workers in the business.

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So he had the look, the talent, the charisma, and the fan support, all the makings of a future world champion. He was always missing just one thing: a chance. And that’s where the WWE failed Rhodes. The beginning of 2012 finally looked like Rhodes’s time to move into the main event scene. At the 2012 Royal Rumble, he lasted over 40 minutes and had six eliminations while in the midst of his 236-day title reign as Intercontinental champion, a reign that was one of the best and most entertaining runs with the IC title in the last 10 years. But instead of using this success to springboard Rhodes into a world title program, he was jobbed out to The Big Show in just over five minutes at Wrestlemania XXVIII. Although he’d regain his Intercontinental title a month later, his momentum was completely curbed. But hey, at least The Big Show got his Wrestlemania moment, right?

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The next 4 years were a mixed bag for Rhodes. Although he found some success teaming with his brother who had returned to the WWE, he found himself toiling in the mid card as was the theme for most of his career. And then it happened. Out of options and looking for a surge in his career, Rhodes turned into Stardust. A younger, more outlandish version of Goldust. Rhodes, like with every other gimmick in his career, played the character with everything he had and it almost worked. Almost. Unfortunately for Rhodes and his fans, the gimmick never picked up much steam and when Rhodes asked to go back to being just Cody, according to him the WWE said no. What other recourse did he have left? None. And that’s why he quit.

So what was the WWE’s problems with Cody? It’s perplexing. Good looking, great physique, full of charisma, terrific inside the ring, solid on the mic, consistent, never injured, and just an overall solid professional was the younger Rhodes boy. So why did Cody never get the chance so many fans wanted him to? Did he just have bad timing? Did creative never envision him as a champion? Or is there something deeper going on here?

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If you look at the treatment of the Rhodes family members that preceded Cody in the WWE, there is a case to be made that it has something to do with his last name. Sure Dusty Rhodes was treated like the legend he was after returning to WWE in 2005 in a backstage role, but let’s not forget his run as a singles wrestler with the company from 1989-1991. Coming to the WWE as a former 3-time NWA World Champion, Dusty was one of the most accomplished wrestlers that the WWE had signed in a very long time. But instead of treating him like a world champion, they brandished him a pair of polka dotted trunks and encouraged him to dance around like some sort of comedy act. And where do we even begin with Dustin? They took the explosive baby face with golden boy looks who spent half the 90’s delighting WCW fans with his brand of intense wrestling and turned him into a face painted Oscar statue lookalike heel. And although he had some success early on with the gimmick, he spent the majority of is WWE tenure being paraded around like some sort of sideshow performance.

So it might just be a possibility that Cody never really had a chance. How could he have after his family was treated like second class citizens? And it’s a shame because the kid could’ve accomplished so much more. Cody will join the ranks of a number of potential superstars who the WWE misused for no good reason other than their inability to get out of their own way. If the company had any sense, they’d let Cody take some time, clear his head, then re-sign him with the caveat that the Stardust gimmick is dead and buried. However, sense hasn’t exactly been the WWE’s M.O. of late and unless some serious changes are made they will continue to lose some of their very best talents.

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