Hi folks! Are you tired of Cody Rhodes yet? Well, don’t fear, I have more for you. We are looking in to the possible future by talking about WWE Superstars who Cody Rhodes has history with. Of course, his signing could be one giant work conjured up by Cody & AEW. You got to love a good conspiracy theory. Seriously though, I don’t think they would have gone this far. It’s painfully obvious we will see Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins at WrestleMania, or it would be one of the biggest letdowns ever.
Triple H
It’s a bit of a shame, but understandable that Triple H has retired because of health issues. During AEW’s early days, Cody smashed up a throne with a sledgehammer, which was reminiscent of something the “King of Kings” would have used. This was in response to NXT being used to counter program Dynamite, although Cody has always respected ‘The Game’ and has said in interviews he’s his favourite wrestler.
During his days with The Legacy stable, Triple H was one of his biggest enemies through 2008 to 2009. It even led to the reformation of D-Generation X, so Cody got to work with him and Shawn Michaels. Many years later, after the passing of his father, Dusty Rhodes, Triple H’s NXT introduced an annual tournament called the Dusty Tag Team Classic. Dusty played a huge role in the development of NXT, so Cody & Dustin respected the working relationship and the tribute to their father.
When Cody left WWE, he said in an interview that Triple H took it personally:
“Hunter [Triple H] took it very personally because he had done so much for my dad at NXT. There was one conversation where he said, “I’m shocked that you feel this way after everything I’ve done for your family.” But I told him, “I’m not my dad. I can’t stay here out of loyalty to you for giving my dad a job in 2005. I get it, and the little boy in me really appreciates what you did for my dad. But I’m not him. He’s not here anymore. I’ve got to be me.” I think Hunter, he’s been in wrestling long enough that he knew, “Oh, this is a real one. He’s not asking for more money. He’s not asking for a title shot. Nothing would matter at this point.” I let the burn get too bad before I said anything, if that makes any sense.”
Now, it’s clear Cody & Triple H could never have a match to resolve these “issues”, but it would be easy to make a storyline out of it. Cody could even go to NXT 2.0 and look to take over on behalf of his Father. There are possibilities, although they will never get to an endgame of Cody looking across the ring from his favourite wrestler.
Drew McIntyre
They have similar paths. Both Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre were pushed heavily in their early years, but then drifted in to the mid-card until they were all but forgotten. They left the company and took the business by storm by putting in the work and reinventing themselves. Over the coming years, they won many championships before coming back to WWE to prove they have what it takes to be one of its top stars. They have history too, as former tag team champions. Although their reign was short-lived, they worked together enough to know how the other ticks.
Drew desperately needs new rivals, having worked with Madcap Moss & Happy Corbin for what feels like a lifetime. I think they would be pretty evenly matched, although McIntyre has the physicality and Brock Lesnar/Goldberg rub to come out on top. Cody learned from some of the dirtiest players in the game, so his smarts will keep it from being too one-sided.
Rey Mysterio
I remember Cody Rhodes’ WWE career for one rivalry, and that was his often overlooked feud with Rey Mysterio. During his ‘Dashing’ run, Mysterio beat Cody in a match with a 619 and broke his nose. This hurt his confidence to the point he didn’t want to show his face. Mysterio apologized, but found it funny that he was making a big deal out of what was clearly an accident.
A month later, Dusty Rhodes reintroduced Cody while he was wearing a protective face mask. They would call Mysterio in to the ring and put aside their differences, but this was just a ruse. While Dusty shook Rey’s hand, he smirked before Cody blindsided him. They beat him down and took his mask, and would brag about it later while showing off the mask like a trophy.
Cody has gone on record to say that his time as ‘Undashing’ was one of his favourite times as a wrestler. This feud went all the way to WrestleMania XXVII, where Rhodes defeated Mysterio in a singles match. That wasn’t enough though, as they had a rubber match in Falls Count Anywhere at the next PPV called Extreme Rules. They fought all over, including backstage, before Mysterio put an end to the feud in the ring. To this day, it remains one of the biggest highlights of Cody’s career to be so evenly matched in a rivalry with Mysterio. And you know what? I’d love to see them go at it one more time.
The Bloodline
No, Cody does not have a history with the stable, but he had many matches against The Shield & The Usos while teaming with his brother. The last time he did anything significant in WWE, he transformed in to Stardust and worked with Goldust to defeat The Usos for the tag team titles. While this means Cody would have to go looking for a tag team partner, he has a few friends he can call on, like The Miz and Dolph Ziggler.
Of course, this means one side turning face. With Roman Reigns, it could easily be a fact of the Tribal Chief looking down on Cody for leaving WWE and he has since become the face of the company in his absence. Cody can say he always needed The Shield or The Usos to do his dirty work. They’ve worked together before, so there’s a starting point to go from, although their history pales compared to the next WWE Superstar.
Randy Orton
I think if Cody needs to have any match in WWE, it’s against his former Legacy leader Randy Orton. You could say Cody would’ve really struggled on his own, without the guidance and spotlight given by Orton in his prime. The Viper is getting old. He knows his best years are behind him, while Cody still has much left in the tank. A win over Orton would be huge for Cody. It would validate all the work he put in since leaving WWE to get back to this point. I’d love to see them get Ted DiBiase Jr back for this storyline, even if it was just a one-off. And yes, Riddle would have nothing to do with this, because I think his presence would detract from the deep-rooted history.
There’s a lot that Orton could do to cement Cody as a top player in WWE, but it depends if management wants that. None of it matters if the fans don’t react. Vince McMahon is all about reactions, and whether Cody plays the face or heel, if the crowds are dead for this feud, then it will tell him all he needs to know. If Orton & Rhodes can’t make something memorable out of this, then it spells the end for Cody in WWE.
There’s nowhere he can go from there. Cody would need to come out of the feud smelling of roses and ready to move on to bigger things, otherwise there’s no point in doing this. Orton’s at that point in his career where he really doesn’t need to be going over anyone. His legacy is established. Cody’s legacy in WWE heavily depends on what WWE can do with this feud, and how the fans react. As we saw at the tail end of his AEW career, fans were being vocal, but it was a mixed reaction.
Conclusion
You know what this list highlights the most? How little history Cody Rhodes has with the current roster. There are many new opponents for him to sink his teeth in to, and that’s a fun aspect of his return. The biggest question mark, however, is where will he end up in the pecking order? If in a few years he finds himself in the mid-card like he was as Stardust, then his return is pointless. Yet, he needs to earn a top spot over those who have worked hard for WWE since his departure. He won’t get a free pass just because he’s a Rhodes.
With that said, we’d like to hear your thoughts on Cody Rhodes’ return to WWE. Will it be great? Do you think it will flop? Does he need a successful feud with Orton? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading.
Also Read: Cody Rhodes: Why Did AEW Fans Turn Their Backs on Him?
