Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes (birth name: Cody Garrett Runnels) is an American wrestler signed to WWE and performing on the SmackDown brand as of January 2025. Starting his career in high school, Cody Rhodes has performed in various divisions, such as All Elite Wrestling, Bullet Proof Wrestling, Global Force Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Illustrated, and Ring of Honor, among others. Along with his two stints with the WWE, he is also the founding member and former Executive Vice President of All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Cody Rhodes, also known as The American Nightmare, is the younger brother of veteran professional wrestler Dustin Rhodes aka Gold Dust, and the son of WWE Hall of Famer, the late Dusty Rhodes.

Also Read: Who all are in the family of Cody Rhodes?

Early life

Cody Rhodes was born on June 30, 1985, in Charlotte, North Carolina, US, according to Sports Illustrated. He was born to WWE Legend Dusty Rhodes and his second wife, Michelle Rubio. His father has four children - a son and a daughter from both his marriages. The oldest of his children is Dustin Rhodes, the man who would go on to be known as Goldust. Cody was born Cody Garrett Runnells, but he changed his name legally to Cody Garrett Runnells Rhodes in his teenage years, as he revealed in a Twitter post (now deleted). He attended Lassiter High School, where he started his amateur wrestling career. Rhodes also studied in the Howard Fine Acting School in Los Angeles after graduating high school.

Cody Rhodes' professional wrestling career

Cody Rhodes: The Beginnings

In 2006, Cody Rhodes started his professional wrestling career by competing as Cody Runnels in WWE's developmental brands. As a member of the company's ECW brand, he made his WWE television debut in 2007 with Hardcore Holly as his tag team partner. Known as The Holly Cousins, the two men had numerous rivalries. Ted DiBiase Jr. and Damien Sandow were two of the many tag team partners Cody would go on to have throughout the years. Throughout his tenure in the WWE, he was also successful as a singles wrestler, adding the prestigious Intercontinental Championship (2010) to the Tag Team Championship he won with Holly in 2007.

Cody has had several famous storylines and feuds throughout his time in WWE. One of his most significant feuds was with Randy Orton, which began as early as his main roster debut in 2007 and included stablemate Ted DiBiase Jr. The American Nightmare then had a run as the 'Dashing' Cody Rhodes, which saw him introducing the classic Intercontinental Championship with the white color belt strap in October 2011. Following the loss of his title, Rhodes would unite with half-brother Goldust to form The Brotherhood, which is when his path would first cross with WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who was a member of the SHIELD stable at the time.

Rhodes would then turn over a new leaf in his career, turning into Stardust, a character that was held back by improper booking and presentation. The damage done was so much that even having Stardust lead The Ascension in a faction named 'The Cosmic Wasteland' and a match with mainstream star Stephen Amell couldn't save the gimmick. This led to Cody announcing that he had requested his release from WWE. At the time, he cited creative differences as the reason for his departure, stating that he was unhappy with the direction of his character and felt that he wasn't being utilized to his full potential.

Ventures beyond WWE

Cody began wrestling on the independent circuit after leaving WWE, appearing in many promotions, including Ring of Honor (ROH), Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). He also continued to use the Stardust gimmick for a short period. Cody began to look into other prospects in the wrestling industry during this period, including working as a promoter.

Cody finds his honor in Ring of Honor (ROH)

After leaving WWE, Rhodes signed with Ring of Honor (ROH), one of the world's leading independent wrestling organizations of the time. Rhodes debuted in ROH in September 2016, defeating Jay Lethal in his first fight in the promotion. Over the next few months, Rhodes rose to prominence in ROH, winning his first ROH championship in December 2016 against Adam Cole to become the ROH World Champion. Rhodes would continue to be associated with the promotion while organizing the famous 'All In' event.

Cody Rhodes

@CodyRhodes

I'll take that bet Dave I already gave them their biggest buyrate...put The Bucks & I on the card & 3-months to promote CC @ringofhonor twitter.com/davemeltzerwon…

Dave Meltzer

@davemeltzerWON

Not any time soon twitter.com/TheWWEGuy_/sta…

2082

468

Not any time soon twitter.com/TheWWEGuy_/sta…

I'll take that bet DaveI already gave them their biggest buyrate...put The Bucks & I on the card & 3-months to promote CC @ringofhonor twitter.com/davemeltzerwon…

In 2018, Rhodes, along with several other wrestlers, organized the "All In" wrestling event in Chicago, which included multiple high-profile matches and wrestlers from several indie organizations. Following the success of "All In," Cody and Tony Khan launched All Elite Wrestling (AEW), a new wrestling promotion. Cody, along with Khan and fellow wrestlers Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, was named executive vice president (EVP) of the organization.

Double or Nothing, AEW's debut show, took place in May 2019 and included several high-profile matches, including Cody vs. his brother, Dustin. Cody continued to wrestle for AEW and was a part of several noteworthy feuds and battles, including one with Chris Jericho that culminated in a match at AEW's Full Gear event in 2019. One of Rhodes' most famous feuds in AEW involved MJF, a young wrestler who initially supported Rhodes before betraying him in a widely publicized plot. The feud ended with Rhodes defeating MJF at AEW's Revolution event in February 2020.

The American Nightmare was also synonymous with the promotion's TNT Championship, and his rivalries with Darby Allin, Brodie Lee, Lance Archer, and Sammy Guevara contributed significantly towards building the prestige of the recently established championship.

Cody Rhodes' return to WWE & Feud with Seth Rollins (2022)

After Cody Rhodes decided not to re-sign with AEW, he made a grand return to WWE in the wrestling promotion's flagship event, WrestleMania. The American Nightmare made his surprise return on Night 1 of WrestleMania 38. He would go on to fight Seth Rollins in the co-main event spot, starting a rivalry that would culminate months later in an all-time classic Hell in a Cell match. The build-up to this match, however, saw Rhodes suffer a torn pectoral tendon, leading to the American Nightmare missing nine months of in-ring action.

Royal Rumble 2023 victory & WrestleMania main event

Rhodes would return from injury at 2023's Royal Rumble Premium Live Event to win the titular match to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 39. On the Road to WrestleMania, Rhodes would go on to unite himself with Sami Zayn against Roman Reigns before Zayn lost to Reigns at the Elimination Chamber 2023. At WrestleMania Hollywood, Rhodes and Reigns faced off in a hard-hitting contest. Solo Sikoa interfered in the match before being sent off by the referee. The Usos made their presence known, followed by Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, who evened the odds. At last, Rhodes was about to give a third Cross Rhodes to the champion before Sikoa made his way back and hit him with a Samoan Spike while Heyman distracted the referee. Rhodes lost the match via pinfall after a spear from Reigns.

Slaying the Beast (2023)

The following night, Rhodes challenged Reigns and Sikoa to a tag team match. Brock Lesnar came out as Rhodes' tag team partner. However, Lesnar instead attacked Rhodes. Seeking revenge on Lesnar, Rhodes up a battle at WWE Backlash 2023. At the event, he defeated Lesnar after converting the Kimura lock into a roll-up pin. An infuriated Lesnar attacked him a few weeks later. During his match against Finn Balor and The Miz in the World Heavyweight Championship tournament, Rhodes was attacked by Lesnar, who broke his arm. This resulted in a kayfabe arm injury, eventually leading to Rhodes' defeat at Night of Champions 2023 at the hands of Brock Lesnar.

Following the event, Rhodes was involved in a confrontation with Dominik Mysterio. This set up a clash between the two and they battled it out at Money in the Bank 2023 at the O2 Arena in London, UK. At the event, Rhodes pinned Mysterio within nine minutes to score a victory. Following the event, he challenged Brock Lesnar once again and was a victim of an attack by The Beast. Lesnar accepted Rhodes' challenge, setting up the third match between the two superstars, this time at the Biggest Party of the Summer (SummerSlam). At SummerSlam, Rhodes managed to beat Brock Lesnar. The Beast embraced Rhodes after the match, ending their feud for good. Later, Rhodes appeared at Payback, not as a wrestler but as a guest at Grayson Waller's special talk show The Grayson Waller Effect. At the talk show, he announced that former Bloodline superstar Jey Uso had joined RAW after leaving SmackDown.

WWE Tag Team Champion with Jey Uso (2023)

Upon Uso's arrival to RAW, he was approached by The Judgment Day, who offered him a spot in the group. Uso rejected the offer, which placed him on Judgment Day's target. Cody Rhodes joined Jey Uso in his feud with the group and teamed up with him at Fastlane 2023 for Balor and Priest's tag team championship. At the event, the challengers emerged as the victors, marking Rhodes' first title victory since returning to the WWE. The win was, however, cut short after he lost the belt on October 16 RAW back to Judgment Day. The already heated-up feud between Rhodes and Judgment Day got fueled up after this match, leading to a match between Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest at Crown Jewel 2023, which Rhodes won.

Royal Rumble 2024 & finishing the story

At Survivor Series WarGames, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and a returning Randy Orton defeated The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh and Drew McIntyre) in the Men's WarGames match. Rhodes would then go on to win the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble match after eliminating CM Punk. He entered the fray at number 15 to get the deal done. Rhodes became the fourth wrestler after Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, and Stone Cold Steve Austin to win the Royal Rumble match in back-to-back years.

He wanted to challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania to seek revenge and finish his story. In a surprising move, on the February 2 episode of SmackDown, Rhodes declared that he was not going to face Reigns at WrestleMania and instead welcomed The Rock as a potential opponent for Reigns. However, at WrestleMania kick-off the next week, he confirmed Roman Reigns to be his opponent, and the match was then officiated by Triple H, prompting The Great One to slap Rhodes.

A feud ignited between the two factions - The Bloodline and those against it. Jey Uso and Seth Rollins sided with Cody Rhodes over the Road to WrestleMania. The Rock challenged Rhodes and Rollins to a tag team match at WrestleMania XL Night One, which the two accepted. Then, Rhodes partook in a tag team match in the main event of Night One, where he was pinned by The Rock. This meant that his match against Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania XL Night Two was Tribal Combat by stipulation. Against the odds, Cody Rhodes beat Roman Reigns, putting an end to his 1,316-day title reign in WWE.

Cody as the WWE Champion (2024 - Present)

Cody Rhodes defended his WWE Championship against AJ Styles at Backlash France and Clash at the Castle in an "I Quit" match, and later against Logan Paul at King and Queen of the Ring. At Money in the Bank, The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu) defeated Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens in a six-man tag match. Rhodes later defended the title against Sikoa at SummerSlam in a Bloodline Rules match and again in a steel cage match on the September 13 SmackDown.

Following these events, Rhodes teamed up with Roman Reigns to defeat Sikoa and Jacob Fatu at Bad Blood, with interference from Jimmy Uso. Post-match, The Rock made a surprise return and teased tensions with Reigns, Rhodes, and Uso. At Crown Jewel, Rhodes defeated Gunther to become the inaugural WWE Crown Jewel Champion. He then successfully defended his WWE Championship against Owens at Saturday Night's Main Event, though he was attacked and stretchered out after the show. At the WWE RAW's debut episode on Netflix, Rhodes and The Rock buried the hatchet by shaking hands and showing mutual respect.

Cody Rhodes' Championships

• All Elite Wrestling
  • AEW TNT Championship (3 times, inaugural)
• New Japan Pro-Wrestling
  • IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Ring of Honor
  • ROH World Championship (1 time)
  • ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Young Bucks

• WWE
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
  • WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Drew McIntyre (1), Goldust (2) and Jey Uso (1)
  • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jey Uso
  • World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Hardcore Holly (1) and Ted DiBiase Jr. (2)
  • Men’s Royal Rumble (2023 and 2024)
  • WWE Championship (1 time)
  • WWE Crown Jewel Championship (1 time)
  • WWE Universal Championship (1 time)

Cody Rhodes' Net Worth

Cody Rhodes is reported to have a net worth of $8 Million, according to Sports Illustrated.

Also read: Cody Rhodes Net Worth

Cody Rhodes' family

Dusty Rhodes (Father)

The late Dusty Rhodes, Cody's father, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in March 2007. Born on 11th October 1945, Dusty Rhodes is better known by his nickname - "The American Dream", which is the opposite of his son's nickname - "The American Nightmare". Dusty Rhodes died from kidney failure on June 10, 2015, in Orlando Florida.

Dustin Rhodes (Half-brother)

Known to the WWE faithful as Goldust, Dustin Rhodes (birth name: Dustin Patrick Runnels) is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes and the half-brother of Cody Rhodes. He was born in 1969 on the 11th of April and made his WWE debut in 1995. In 2019, he joined AEW alongside Cody Rhodes. However, he did not leave the company when Cody did in 2022.

Cody Rhodes' wife

Cody’s wife, Brandi Rhodes (real name: Brandi Alexis Reed) is a former wrestler. Brandi was born on June 23, 1983, in Canton, Michigan. She was a figure skater for 17 years and graduated from the University of Michigan, as per People.com. Brandi Rhodes was employed as a news reporter in Michigan for two years. She shifted to Miami and began modeling for renowned magazines such as Maxim and Hawaiian Tropic while also attending the University of Miami for a Master’s degree in broadcast journalism. She has also appeared in the television series WAGS Atlanta.

Cody Rhodes' physical attributes

Cody Rhodes' age

Cody Rhodes is 39 years old, as of January 2025. He was born on June 30, 1985, in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Cody Rhodes' height

Cody Rhodes is billed at a height of 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) in WWE.

Cody Rhodes' weight

Cody Rhodes is billed at 222 lb (101 kg).