Cody Rhodes is someone who is integral to what AEW is today, but unfortunately things didn’t work out in the long run between him and the company, which would lead to him leaving AEW to join their top competition, WWE.
Over Rhodes’ two-plus years in the company, he was a major part of programming week in and week out, offering up several memorable moments over that time. Not all of Rhodes’ moments in AEW were perfect, with him having both good and bad during his time there, but regardless of how things turned out and despite him not currently wrestling there, he will always be synonymous with the promotion.
10 Best - Starting AEW
Cody Rhodes may not be with the company today, but there is a big chance that AEW may not be here at all if it weren’t for Cody Rhodes. Along with other members of The Elite, Cody Rhodes was at the forefront of making AEW a reality.
He was a major figure at the beginning, with him being the marquee individual at the first ever AEW press conference, which will always be a historic moment in both AEW history, and potentially in all of professional wrestling depending on how AEW progresses.
9 Worst - The Weigh In Segment
The feud between Anthony Ogogo and Cody Rhodes had some potential to build a new star, but it ended up being pretty much a complete failure. The pinnacle of this disastrous feud came in one of AEW’s worst ever segments - The Weigh In.
Rhodes couldn’t look more unlikable as he brought with him a huge sea of individuals to the weigh in for his match (even though weight doesn’t matter in professional wrestling matches), despite being the babyface. From there, the scales weren’t working properly, making the whole segment awkward and uncomfortable to watch.
8 Best - Moonsault From Atop A Steel Cage
Cody Rhodes wrestled in the very first Steel Cage Match in AEW history, as he took on Wardlow in the big man’s debut match in the promotion. All those elements made this a big time encounter, and it was capped off with a remarkable spot.
AEW’s steel cages are larger than the ones usually seen in WWE, so to see Rhodes standing at the top of the structure and then performing a moonsault onto his opponent was a truly stunning visual, and one of the best spots in the company’s history.
7 Worst - The Botched Chair Shot
At the first AEW Fyter Fest event, following Cody Rhodes' time limit draw against Darby Allin, he was confronted by Shawn Spears, who had been his friend. In a shocking moment, Spears turned heel, hitting Rhodes in the head with a steel chair.
Chair shots to the head are frowned upon in modern day wrestling, but it was reported that the chair was supposedly gimmicked. However, the move was botched, as Rhodes’ head was busted open badly in an ugly moment.
6 Best - 10 Lashes
Early on in AEW, Rhodes was a part of several major feuds. One of those was against MJF, with the pair developing a great story against one another with strong moments, the best of which was the “10 lashes” segment.
It was an emotional, intense, and violent segment which made for great television. Rhodes’ performance was stellar.
5 Worst - Losing To Chris Jericho
At the first Full Gear PPV in 2019, Cody Rhodes took on Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship, with the stipulation being that if Rhodes lost the match, he could never challenge for the belt again.
It was commendable for AEW to stick to this stipulation, but in the long-term this proved to be detrimental to Rhodes’ time in the company, as he was stuck in the midcard, winning the TNT Title too many times. The option should have been left open for Rhodes, with this being a rushed decision AEW came to far too quickly.
4 Best - Undeniable Promo
Cody Rhodes was arguably AEW’s number one babyface at the start of the promotion, and this came about due to him consistently producing brilliant promos. His most notable promo was his “Undesirable to Undeniable” promo, in which he detailed his journey and why he needs to become AEW World Champion.
It was a stunning speech with top notch delivery, and it is still up there with the best of promos in AEW, even with some other recent classics delivered by the likes of MJF.
3 Worst - Defeating Malakai Black
Malakai Black came into AEW to a lot of hype, and things were going well when he not only squashed Cody Rhodes, but then defeated him in a rematch. The feud should have been done there, and Black should have gone onto bigger things.
However, Rhodes and Black would have one more match, but this time Rhodes won, ending their feud with him standing tall. This was hugely unpopular, and it led to Black suffering from a severe drop in momentum due to being saddled with Rhodes for too long.
2 Best - Classic Match Vs Dustin Rhodes
At AEW’s very first PPV event, Double or Nothing, Cody Rhodes took on his brother, Dustin Rhodes, in what is still in contention for the greatest AEW match ever. This was a bloody, old-school battle between two great performers, and it stole the show.
Everything from the in-ring work, to the story, to the post match embrace were all wonderfully executed, and it helped to define AEW as a great product early on.
1 Worst - Leaving AEW
Unfortunately, Cody Rhodes’ time in AEW reached a poor end, with fans turning on his character and booing him out the building, along with alleged backstage frustrations from multiple parties.
Rhodes’ end to AEW was a sign of change in the company, with it not always being happy families behind the scenes. AEW suffered a huge blow losing someone of the name value of Rhodes, although it has led to him finding his feet again in WWE.