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Cody Rhodes looks to be on his way back to WWE. After leaving the company in 2016, the American Nightmare went on a journey to prove himself to be better than his booking under Vince McMahon.
In that time, Cody was able to achieve so much. He is a former Ring of Honor World Champion, helped create All Elite Wrestling, and became a bonafide top star in the industry.
However, Rhodes was also able to find a great deal of success during his time in World Wrestling Entertainment. For a decade, Cody was able to grow and evolve before the fans' eyes. Introduced as Dusty's youngest son, the WWE Universe saw him grow into a cocky upstart and then into a resilient underachiever.
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From Legacy to Dashing to Un-dashing to Stardust, Cody revealed that he was able to get any character or gimmick over. He also showcased the ability to pull out some strong contests, whether it be in singles, tag team, or multi-man encounters. In this article, let's take a look at the five best Cody Rhodes matches in WWE.
#5. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton - WWE RAW September 2nd, 2013
The only singles match on this list had to include someone with plenty of history with Cody Rhodes. Randy Orton was a mentor for Rhodes in the Legacy stable. After the group split, Rhodes flourished and gained some success on his own as a two-time Intercontinental Champion. By the time the two men faced on the September 2nd, 2013 episode of RAW, things were much different.
Orton was the WWE Champion and had just aligned with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon to form the Authority, while Cody Rhodes had recently turned babyface. The two superstars had arguably their best match yet where Orton beat Rhodes, who was fired in the process by the Authority. Cody would go on to cut the best promo of his career to that point, proving this to be a game-changer.
4) Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase vs. D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels & Triple H) in a Hell In A Cell Match - WWE Hell In A Cell 2009
For better or worse, the best contests for Cody Rhodes in his first run in WWE were tag team bouts. He came and quickly aligned with Hardcore Holly to win tag team gold. A few months later, Rhodes turned on Holly to align with Ted Dibiase and once again win the titles. It was the year after where Rhodes and Dibiase met their first crucial rivals in D-Generation X.
In the culmination of this feud, DX and Legacy faced each other inside a Hell In A Cell. This was the first tag team edition of the stipulation, but it was unique.
Legacy had a game plan and kept Triple H out of the cell to isolate HBK. However, The Game would get in, and soon the tables were turned. DX cornered Rhodes and put him away with a Sweet Chin Music-sledgehammer combo for the win.
#3. Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. The Usos vs. The Shield (Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins) in a triple threat tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Although Cody had plenty of success in doubles action, he would arguably find his greatest tag team partner in his older brother Goldust (Dustin Rhodes).
The two superstars won the WWE Tag Team Championship over The Shield and went on to defend the gold a few weeks later with the odds stacked against them. They defended against the former champions and the Usos.
This three-way match was filled with non-stop action and some thrilling sequences. The Rhodes Brothers were a deeply compelling tag team, with the crowd growing more and more invested in the rise of Cody. They rallied behind the Rhodes duo to victory in this one and were ecstatic to see them walk out with the gold.
#2. Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow vs. Jack Swagger vs. Cesaro vs. Wade Barrett vs. Fandango vs. Dean Ambrose in the Money In The Bank Ladder match - WWE Money In The Bank 2013
Cody didn't get too much time to shine on his own, but one of those rare occasions came at Money In The Bank 2013. Seven competitors battled for the contract to get a shot at the then World Heavyweight Championship. They kicked off the show in an intriguing and high-risk ladder match.
It was Rhodes who stood out the most and above every other opponent. Cody had a fire and intensity that many fans weren't used to. Just when it looked like Cody would retrieve the briefcase and get the biggest win of his career, his Rhodes Scholar partner Damien Sandow turned on him and pushed him off the ladder to then climb to victory.
#1. Cody Rhodes & Goldust (Dustin Rhodes) vs. The Shield (Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins) - WWE Battleground 2013
This is not just the defining match of Cody's first WWE run, but it is also the most important in his family's history with the company. The buildup to Battleground 2013 saw both Cody and Goldust fired unceremoniously by The Authority. They then took things one step further when they embarrassed Dusty and had The Big Show knock him out.
Everything was on the line at this pay-per-view. If Cody and Dustin won, they would get their jobs back. If The Shield won, Dusty would lose his job as NXT trainer. The American Dream was in the corner of his sons, while Dean Ambrose was there with Reigns and Rollins.
All four men were in top form in this bout that relied heavily on emotion and storytelling. The Shield isolated Cody Rhodes before he made the hot tag to Goldust, who moved like he was ten years younger here.
Dusty even got involved when he laid out Ambrose with the Bionic Elbow. Cody delivered the final blow with the Cross Rhodes to pin Rollins and get the Rhodes family their jobs back.
It was a thrilling affair that was high on drama as the match went on. All four men worked extremely well with one another. The crowd was molten hot for this more than anything else on the night. The victory for the Rhodes Brothers felt earned and gave the family a defining moment.
Which one is your favorite Cody Rhodes match in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.
