Nov 27, 2022 21:31:53 GMT Kilgore said:

Speaking of Regal, I'm reading he's part of a big AEW angle now, and it's just, like, what fan has ever asked for Regal? Ever? And he will be on wrestling television forever, apparently. I realize I like him less than most, but it can't be denied that it's bizarre this midcarder for life, who never drew anything, never pulled ratings, has reached this status (because better wrestlers liked him as a trainer/mentor?). Has any wrestler in history had desserts that outweigh accomplishments more than Regal?

I feel this way about Cody Rhodes, especially now he's in the limelight as a Top Guy in WWE.

To me Cody is a career midcarder, and he has significantly overachieved. Most of his career he's been pretty unremarkable. To give him credit, he has taken some shit ideas and made them work. The main example being Dashing Cody Rhodes, the one time where I actually liked what he was doing.

Career midcarder he was, until he left WWE and started freelancing, and was suddenly treated as a massive deal. Trouble is, unlike a guy like Jon Moxley, Cody didn't really change at all to make himself more compelling. Bland old Cody Rhodes kept on chugging along, but because of his status as a long term WWE guy, he pretty effortlessly got to the top of ROH, NWA and NJPW. A friendship with Kenny and the Bucks helped with that, creating a god awful storyline where he joined Bullet Club and blah blah blah.

So Cody helps form AEW, which is a really good thing, and books himself to lose a match forfeiting his right to challenge for the World Championship, another pretty good thing, and has a good run in AEW. For a while. Then he gets a neck tattoo and becomes a laughing stock, not just because of the tattoo, but because of the weird way he was presenting his character. He was basically forcing himself on the fans, like Cena and babyface Reigns were, and the fans weren't having it. People suspected this was some genius meta-heel gimmick. Nope. Cody was just completely out of touch.

His departure from AEW was shocking, but his stock in AEW was so low that I don't think many fans cared. Then the biggest mystery of all happens. He rocks up in WWE, being exactly the same character that failed so hard in AEW. Exact same look, exact same music, exact same promo style, exact same wrestling style. Instant main eventer, everyone loves him. It completely baffles me.

It seems like a right place, right time situation. Roman Reigns ran through everybody, so the only guy left is Cody Rhodes who represents AEW.

He also represents the son of a legend who fought his way back from an underneath joke act into a bonafide main event star who successfully launched one of the biggest wrestling promotions and he's come back to complete the circle.

On top of that, he returns at the biggest show of the year in a marquee spot and works a series of matches against a guy he has great chemistry with. Then before he can wear out his welcome, he tears his pec and still puts in a main event calibre performance. Then he returns at the second biggest show in front of 50,000 and gets the superstar treatment.

The WWE has also done a good job of protecting Cody from himself. He's no longer finding room for his wife to clean house or working programs with his best buddies. He's playing to his strengths which is playing himself - a son of a legend who just wants to do his father proud and carry on a legacy that shaped an entire industry. He wants the Rhodes name to mean more than polka dots, he wants to be up there with the Harts, the Guerreros etc. Yet he's got an impossible fight on his hands against Roman Reigns - the most dominant WWE Champion who is carrying on his own family legacy.

Mano e mano

WWE vs AEW

Who do you acknowledge?

Do you have adrenaline in your soul?

60 days!

1 winner!

Cody Rhodes doesn't represent AEW. He's just a dude who left WWE for a few years and came back. Like Bobby Lashley. Like Drew McIntyre. Like Brock Lesnar.

You're telling me that Cody's entire personality is "son of Dusty Rhodes". Like he has no personality of his own. That sounds pretty accurate. Explains why he's so bland and irritatingly patriotic. In my view he's been force-fed to the audience, like many top WWE babyfaces before him, but for some reason the fans like the taste of this particular meal.

Like I said, I'm baffled why the fanbase suddenly loved him when they never really did in AEW or WWE or any other company. And I don't think Roman Reigns has anything to do with it. If I had to guess, it's that he's older, wiser, and more authentic. In addition as, you point out, WWE has filtered out his worst habits.

To be fair, his post-Rumble Raw promo was really good. He kept on point, built up his match with Roman, didn't waffle on about his father or America or generic fighting spirit stuff like he usually does.

Have seen very little Cody, but my rush judgment has always been he just doesn't have the juice. Midcarder cosplaying an '80s main eventer. If he was Cody Smith he'd be a nobody.

Feb 3, 2023 3:49:55 GMT Emperor said:

Cody Rhodes doesn't represent AEW. He's just a dude who left WWE for a few years and came back. Like Bobby Lashley. Like Drew McIntyre. Like Brock Lesnar.

It may not be explicit, but the sub-text is there. One of the founders of the competition comes into stake his claim in the biggest promotion. For WWE fans, it supports their belief that there's no bigger pinnacle than main eventing a Wrestlemania. For AEW fans, it adds to their legacy that one of their lesser talents can get over and become champion. Also, let's be real, Cody did more outside of the WWE than either Drew or Bobby. This wasn't a typical return, this was a step up which is why he's being pushed stronger out of the gate than either Bobby or Drew.

Admittedly, Brock is a different kettle of fish.

Feb 3, 2023 3:49:55 GMT Emperor said:

You're telling me that Cody's entire personality is "son of Dusty Rhodes". Like he has no personality of his own. That sounds pretty accurate. Explains why he's so bland and irritatingly patriotic. In my view he's been force-fed to the audience, like many top WWE babyfaces before him, but for some reason the fans like the taste of this particular meal.

Like I said, I'm baffled why the fanbase suddenly loved him when they never really did in AEW or WWE or any other company. And I don't think Roman Reigns has anything to do with it. If I had to guess, it's that he's older, wiser, and more authentic. In addition as, you point out, WWE has filtered out his worst habits.

Plus, he hasn't worn out his welcome and when he has appeared it's been special occasion.

If you follow sports you're always curious to see how the star signing is going to perform. Maybe you were trepadcious beforehand, but then you see them not only play through injury but perform well than they've earned some cache.

So you don't think fans ever thought of Roman Reigns when Cody Rhodes came in and the possibility of those two having a program?

Here's another question, do you think fans turned on Cody in AEW because he carried himself like a sports entertainer in a professional wrestling company?

Feb 3, 2023 19:25:06 GMT Big Pete said:

It may not be explicit, but the sub-text is there. One of the founders of the competition comes into stake his claim in the biggest promotion. For WWE fans, it supports their belief that there's no bigger pinnacle than main eventing a Wrestlemania. For AEW fans, it adds to their legacy that one of their lesser talents can get over and become champion. Also, let's be real, Cody did more outside of the WWE than either Drew or Bobby. This wasn't a typical return, this was a step up which is why he's being pushed stronger out of the gate than either Bobby or Drew.

Maybe you're right. I'm operating under an assumption that most WWE fans don't know anything about AEW besides the name and probably had a nice shock when Cody returned. Also that a large chunk of AEW fans don't care about WWE, not even when Cody left AEW to go there. These assumptions may be wrong.

Feb 3, 2023 19:25:06 GMT Big Pete said:

So you don't think fans ever thought of Roman Reigns when Cody Rhodes came in and the possibility of those two having a program?

Given that Cody debuted by beating Rollins, after which they immediately continued the feud, and that Cody and Reigns are on different shows, it wouldn't have been on their radar. Sure, some fans would have thought of it, but as a match in the fairly distant future. Probably fans started to connect the two more seriously around the HIAC performance. What is in Cody's favour is that he's a fresh challenger with a lot of credibility, and Roman is in lack of fresh challengers.

Feb 3, 2023 19:25:06 GMT Big Pete said:

Here's another question, do you think fans turned on Cody in AEW because he carried himself like a sports entertainer in a professional wrestling company?

I think it's more to Kilgore's point that Rhodes started cosplaying as a white meat 80s babyface main eventer. The fans didn't receive it well, yet he kept on trucking with it, oblivious to the fan's negativity. Reminds me of a certain MeekMaHan. Plus Brandi Rhodes was active at the time, perhaps the biggest (unintentional) heat magnet on the roster, which didn't help Cody's cause.

Real question with Cody is will be start half assing things when he is out of the main event. He buried Black in AEW, and phoned in most of his first WWE run.

He could make this gimmick work as the simple Cena like top babyface, swapping to corporate Cody if he goes heel, and has the talent in the ring to make it all work, but the question is will he? If he did not in his own damn company I wonder if he will in WWE. Then again, I expect a short run from Cody then him to retire and move to the back since he wants to book badly.

There's certainly that segment of the audience as well that's unaware as well. I was thinking of the Wrestlemania audience that he debuted in front of which is made up of fans who treat it as a bucket list item and travel the world so they'd have to be passionate enough to at least know why Cody returning at Wrestlemania is a big deal. Admittedly I'm also conflating the fans and management. The WWE are willing to push Cody because of his success with starting up a rival organisation but then choosing to come to the fed. The WWE pushes him as the star and gives him the smoke and mirrors to be treated like the star so the casual fans perceive him that way because they don't know any better.

As far as Roman, it had to be in everyone's mind when Cody made a point about winning the one title that eluded his father.

I don't know if I agree with either take there c.

He was new to the business during his first stint and was learning things through out. Between him and Dibiase, Cody showed a far better aptitude and was making good year on year progress. Things just came to a head when they gave him a lame-duck gimmick and they had no intentions of letting him do anything different. So he chose to leave the company and make something of himself.

Cody put over Malakai huge during their feud. Yes it fizzled out, but that's been a theme of Malakai's entire career so to pin that on Cody is unfair when there's plenty of blame to go around. The issue I had with the feud is that it was a carbon copy of what Cody did with Brodie Lee.

Feb 4, 2023 5:39:25 GMT Big Pete said:

As far as Roman, it had to be in everyone's mind when Cody made a point about winning the one title that eluded his father.

I wasn't aware that he said that or when he said that. It wouldn certainly plant the seeds of Cody vs Roman in their minds.

Feb 4, 2023 11:12:33 GMT Emperor said:

Feb 4, 2023 5:39:25 GMT Big Pete said:

As far as Roman, it had to be in everyone's mind when Cody made a point about winning the one title that eluded his father.

I wasn't aware that he said that or when he said that. It wouldn certainly plant the seeds of Cody vs Roman in their minds.

I'm not sure how much Cody monologuing you can take, but here's the proof.

Always liked Cody in WWE. Thought he was misused (by himself) in AEW. Oozed star quality but had no idea how to channel it. Should have been a heel instead of being a babyface in a suit with an ECW type crowd. Doesn’t surprise me he’s done great in WWE. He looks the part, he’s emotive as hell, he can talk, the Rhodes factor obviously helps a great deal. People want people who ‘look the part’ far more than they readily admit. Cody is a great example of a guy that looks and acts like a star. I’m really happy for him.

As I’ve said before it’s not his fault he got injured, but it really killed the momentum needed to be Roman’s equal for Mania. I loved the undashing Cody Rhodes stuff & liked what I saw in AEW.

Roman has had an incredible run so Cody needed to have been absolutely crushing the roster for a full year leading in to his victory against Roman, not having back and forth matches with Finn Balor upon his return.

Now he just seems heavily the underdog when they have the perfect underdog story in Sami Zayn.

Feb 4, 2023 11:17:33 GMT Big Pete said:

Feb 4, 2023 11:12:33 GMT Emperor said:

I wasn't aware that he said that or when he said that. It wouldn certainly plant the seeds of Cody vs Roman in their minds.

I'm not sure how much Cody monologuing you can take, but here's the proof.

I wasn't trying to call you out, I believe you, just wanted to say that I hadn't seen it or remembered it.

HHH was right.

I just cant get behind that awful neck tattoo.

He left a boy, and returned a man. 

Presentation is everything.

Anything less than how they have packaged and presented Cody upon and since he debut, then you'd be able to make a claim he is a midcarder in every sense of the word. But instead, they have told the fans that this guy is a legitimate star. He looks like star, carries himself like a star, and embodies what a " World Champion " should embody - whether it becomes the WWE Champion or not, he's a star. 

They did the same thing for Styles at The Rumble. They told you he was a star from day one and even thought half the fans had no idea who he was, they believed it. 

But.. as long as he get's those big reactions, he's the top babyface, or perhaps second to Sami Zayn. If you heard crickets when his song hit, yeap sure.. " over-pushed " - but that's simply not the case. 

Ok.. the AEW shot. How the " Booker of the Year " thought booking Cody out of the World Title scene, and removing him from any notable position in the company was a good idea, I don't understand ( I do, it was a Young Buck-Omega-TK jerk-off behind the scenes and Cody likely refused to tug on those balls ) considering what WWE has achieved with Rhodes in just a handful of matches and interactions. Come on TK. He'll main event the biggest show of the year, after being the advertised drawcard for The Rumble, and likely two of the most profitable gates in history.... and Tony Khan couldn't make it work. Dweeb. 

Feb 4, 2023 15:09:39 GMT Emperor said:

Feb 4, 2023 11:17:33 GMT Big Pete said:

I'm not sure how much Cody monologuing you can take, but here's the proof.

I wasn't trying to call you out, I believe you, just wanted to say that I hadn't seen it or remembered it.

I know, it was just for posterity and you can get a visual instead of simply taking my word.