Before Cody Rhodes was on a collision course with Roman Reigns, The Rock, and the rest of The Bloodline faction, he was just trying to make a name for himself in WWE like anyone else.
The famous wrestling name of “Rhodes” carried all the weight it could get early in his career. He had an advantage in the competition when he entered Ohio Valley Wrestling because his father, the late great Dusty Rhodes, had trained him since he was 12 years old. He improved his skills in the territory before ascending to the main roster in 2007. Towards the end of 2008, he was in a faction with superstar Randy Orton.
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Ted DiBiase Jr., Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes appear during the WWE Monday Night Raw show, on August 24, 2009, in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Orton, whose career will be profiled on the A&E series “Biography: WWE Legends” on Sunday, led The Legacy with Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. The group's two-year run included a tag team championship with DiBiase, but the group divided in 2010.
Orton told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that he didn't necessarily see the possibility of Rhodes becoming the transcendent superstar he is today while the two teamed up in the late 2000s.
“I definitely saw potential, but to say I saw the potential of what he [is] Now, I don't know if in 2007 or when he came on the roster, I don't know if I looked at a young Cody Rhodes and thought he was going to beat Brock Lesnar in 15 years. “Now,” he said. “I don't think he can call that one. But like last summer, he had a streak of three or more games with Brock where, I mean, he's come a long way.”
Rhodes left WWE in 2016 and dealt a hard blow to the independent circuit. He appeared in Ring of Honor, TNA Wrestling, New-Japan Pro Wrestling and later helped form All Elite Wrestling.
In 2022, his time in AEW came to an end. He shocked the crowd at WrestleMania 38 when he challenged Seth Rollins and defeated him. Aside from a torn pectoral injury, Rhodes was catapulted to stardom.
Cody Rhodes (Ronald Martínez/Getty Images)
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“And what he did for the business when he left and what he did for us, the talent, by offering a competition, and I don't know if I call it competition now, but for a second, Cody was excited because he got these “I gathered a ragtag group of guys and I got a TV deal and got everyone's attention with this product,” Orton said. “And the fact that he's back with us, I think, shows you what the obvious number one spot is to be in if “You're a professional wrestler.”
Rhodes must now headline WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia and potentially finish his story and win the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.
WWE teased for a few weeks that, after winning the Royal Rumble for the second consecutive time, Rhodes would challenge Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship. The Rock even returned to try and insert himself into the main event of WrestleMania against Rhodes. The WWE Universe, on the other hand, clamored for Rhodes to finish the story.
Orton said that support underscored how popular and important Rhodes is in the company and in the industry.
“I love that he's back home. I love that he's part of the locker room,” he said. “I love when I see him talking to other young talents and the role he plays now as a top guy. And if not just a top guy, possibly in a short period of time, the top guy.”
Cody Rhodes arrives at the red carpet premiere of Peacock's WWE Original Documentary “American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes” on July 18, 2023 in Sandy Springs, Georgia. (WWE via Getty Images)
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“I mean, think about it this way: There are a lot of fans who would rather see Cody finish his story than see the world's biggest superstar compete at WrestleMania. They'd rather see Cody, and that's huge. There's no one else in the game. roster that can take that position away from Cody, not even The Rock.”
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