Wrestler Rating Series #10 - Cody

[white crow]

The American Nightmare! Since it's 10th episode I wanted to switch things up by including one of the AEW stars and Cody is one of the finest on the roster.

In-ring skills really good in this one. He has a nice technician and brawler style with some submissions to it. It's strongly above average but still inferior to a lot of current main-eventers in the great sport of pro wrestling. Better than Seth but worse than AJ, better than Pac but worse than Jericho etc but pretty much he's either on the top or near the top when it comes to current skill expectations of wrestlers. His finisher fits his persona real good and the signature submission gives him a bit of resemblance to Jericho's style, although he's not even close to his level, but yeah, hardly anyone is right now. Cody matches were always very good after he left the WWE, and in the WWE it was mostly average but still ok. He is intense, knows how to make other guys look good and his moveset always gives a nice taste to the matches. One of those shitload of guys who were very talented but WWE horribly failed to use them and book them.

I like him most as a heel, he has that crazy energy and look of a bad guy. Crowd reacts quite well to him, that lightly energetic atmosphere is present when he's there. He was MJF when MJF wasn't even wrestling. I personally don't like Rhodes as a face but objectively speaking he's not bad at that either. I would say that he's able to pull out a lot of fun characters but still the best at being normal Murican Nightmare Cody we all know today. His mic skills are good but it could be better, not that it's bad but wouldn't mind some more work. He is able to put on a memorable promo, probably better at it than most of the WWE main-event guys.

I would rate him as a kinda weak 8/10 but still an 8. There are some other guys with a same grade you feel like are better but he's in the same spectrum over there. He is strongly above average in-ring and his non-wrestling skills are a lil bit sheakier but they're still ok. He has reached his full potential and it's sad that we didn't get to see any of it in the WWE but it doesn't really have an impact on his accomplishments, he made a name for himself even without Vince.
How would you rate Cody and why? Cast a vote in the poll and feel free to elaborate.

 

[Pop Tatari]

I do not understand you saying he is a better then seth, his matches in wwe and Roh are above Cody's. Seth is a storyteller. Rhodes is bland

 

[white crow]

I do not understand you saying he is a better then seth, his matches in wwe and Roh are above Cody's. Seth is a storyteller. Rhodes is bland

Slightly better I would say, they are both pretty good. It's probably subjective which one you consider better, they are quite equal
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That’s in-ring speaking but even overall Cody is better imo. But considering the fact that he reached his full potential and Seth didn’t, he will probably pass him if he continues improving

 

[Pop Tatari]

Slightly better I would say, they are both pretty good. It's probably subjective which one you consider better, they are quite equal

Cody has improved since he left wwe, but he does not really get me excited. In terms of others you listed I agree they are inferior to them

 

[white crow]

Cody has improved since he left wwe, but he does not really get me excited. In terms of others you listed I agree they are inferior to them

He was pretty decent when he was in WWE as well but he was missused, and yeah, he improved even more afterwards. Both his and Seth’s matches get me excited but Seth is booked right in WWE while Cody wasn’t so much. Good thing that he left and saved his career

 

[Grievous 3D]

Well...I have to be honest & say I never saw Cody wrestle in the WWE...
in fact the first time I ever saw him wrestle was at All In against Nick
Aldis.

Since that match I've seen him wrestle Dustin Rhodes, Darby Allin,
a tag match against the Bucks of Youth & Shawn Spears...and I
enjoyed every one of his matches...especially his draw against
Allin & his "old school fights" against his brother & Shawn Spears.

I'm not sure what he was like in WWE (I will admit I regret missing
seeing him as Stardust...seems like my kind of character) but so
far from what I've seen of him...it would be a 7...maybe 8?

Actually I'll go 8 because his wife is hot...

?

 

[bullyballmm]

9/10

FIrst of all - there is nothing wrong with being a 3 star match general, I have never seen a bad match from Cody. He got a good match against Big Show for the IC title ffs

He puts his all to his character performances. Dashing Cody Rhodes was great. Un-dashing Cody Rhodes was great. Stardust was great. Rhodes Brother was great. American Nightmare is great. He fucking got a mustache gimmick over! Unfortunately WWE kept booking him like shit because Vince didn't see anything in him despite the fans reactions to him.

I respect him so, so much for following his dreams and setting up a rival company to WWE with his mates in response to the horrible booking/storytelling that WWE does. But I did not include that in my rating of him, he would have got a 10 if that was the case.
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I do not understand you saying he is a better then seth, his matches in wwe and Roh are above Cody's. Seth is a storyteller. Rhodes is bland

Seth's punches look just more intimidating than Shane's (i.e. not at all). He can do a lot of kicks but he relies too much on suicide dives these days. Cody has some great mat wrestling skills in him. Not everything has to be a spot-fest
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Well...I have to be honest & say I never saw Cody wrestle in the WWE...
in fact the first time I ever saw him wrestle was at All In against Nick
Aldis.

Since that match I've seen him wrestle Dustin Rhodes, Darby Allin,
a tag match against the Bucks of Youth & Shawn Spears...and I
enjoyed every one of his matches...especially his draw against
Allin & his "old school fights" against his brother & Shawn Spears.

I'm not sure what he was like in WWE (I will admit I regret missing
seeing him as Stardust...seems like my kind of character) but so
far from what I've seen of him...it would be a 7...maybe 8?

Actually I'll go 8 because his wife is hot...

?

Oh man you missed out. I think my favourite feud/rivalry of his was with Rey Mysterio. I know you don't want to watch anything WWE but consider watching this 2 minute match (Warning: Even for sometthing nearly 10 years old, Cole is still fucking annoying on commentary. Just watch the wrestlers do shit and try to drown out commentary):

 

[white crow]

Even for sometthing nearly 10 years old, Cole is still fucking annoying on commentary.

Cole’s dickface is next to definition of the word annoying in the Oxford dictionary.

 

[Jay-Ashley]

I remember watching Cody in WWE, it was in the latter half of his time being there and included that awful Stardust gimmick, but I thought he was always pretty good. Not great, but pretty good and once he left WWE and began doing RoH, New Japan, Impact, and other promotions he got better and really toned his skills. I can say I can watch his matches and be entertained by them, but to me, Cody is better at telling a story then actually wrestling the story if that makes sense. Now, I am not saying he is a bad wrestler, but he can't really tell a story in the ring and when does it happen it is rare, for example, his match with Nick Aldis at All In told a good story inside and outside, but his match with Shawn didn't tell it too well in both departments.

So with that, all said, I gave Cody a 6/10. He isn't average just slightly above it and if he can learn to always tell, or at least halfway always, tell a good story in the ring then I will give him something higher.