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Cody Rhodes’ time in AEW was hugely significant, though it ended in the worst possible way. The fans that once adored him had turned on him, booing him out of the arena every time he was there. Some fans may wonder how the most popular babyface in the company at one stage suffered from such a steep decline. It was a combination of a few factors, though his feud with Anthony Ogogo was perhaps the most important one. This rivalry marked perhaps the worst portion of his time in AEW, and it would lead to a chain of events which likely contributed to his departure.
Anthony Ogogo Looked Like A Star In The Making
It had been noted that Cody Rhodes, along with QT Marshall, was a key person in training a selection of wrestlers from the “Nightmare Factory”, including the likes of Lee Johnson, Brock Anderson, and more. However, on an episode of Dynamite, there was a coup of sorts, which saw QT Marshall split off with a group of recruits, donning themselves as just “The Factory”. They attacked and ambushed Rhodes and a selection of other trainees. Someone who joined forces with QT Marshall, was Anthony Ogogo.
Ogogo had been signed to AEW for some time, but this was his first exposure. The former Olympic medalist had a striking look, though it was uncertain how good of a professional wrestler he was. It quickly became clear that he had a unique presence and strong gimmick, playing off his boxing background, with that adding into his in-ring work. For all intents and purposes, it looked as though AEW had someone with the potential to be a star on their hands. Despite Marshall being the leader of The Factory, it was Ogogo who was presented as the star, and it was he who feuded with Rhodes.
AEW Turned Cody Rhodes Vs Anthony Ogogo Into USA Vs UK
At first, the feud looked promising, with Ogogo being built up as a huge force to be reckoned with. He held himself well on the microphone and his matches were short yet effective. However, he then began running down the United States, and it slowly became clear what this feud was all about. Initially, it felt as though the purpose of the rivalry was to create a brand new star and put Ogogo over as a potential future champion, but instead, it was yet another tired example of the overused US vs foreign heel trope, as Ogogo is from the UK.
Rhodes came out and cut rallying patriotic promos, tackling topics such as racism and freedom. Perhaps back in the 80s the patriotism would have worked, but in 2021, fans could see through this clear pandering attempt, and the majority of viewers weren’t buying it. AEW had promised to be something different from the norm, but for the most part this felt like a very “WWE” feud. Unfortunately for Rhodes, his babyface persona didn’t come across as likable due to the whole thing feeling forced.
Cody Rhodes' AEW Downfall Began With This Rivalry
One of the worst parts of this feud was the weigh-in, in which the scales didn’t work, leaving the whole segment feeling awkward and botched. To make matters worse, Rhodes turned up with ten times as many people on his side to Ogogo. Rhodes should have been made to feel like the underdog, instead he was presented as the established star who had more supporters than Ogogo. It made Ogogo look like the underdog, which is certainly not what was intended given the face and heel dynamic.
The rivalry was a mess, but fans were holding out hope for the one slither of chance that Ogogo could have won their PPV bout at Double or Nothing, or at least look strong in defeat. Instead, Ogogo’s punch, which had dropped down every opponent thus far, was treated like any other move, with Rhodes kicking out and overcoming it. Their match ended up being very basic, with Rhodes overcoming the heel to emerge victorious and win the match, ending their feud and destroying Ogogo’s aura and momentum.
Rhodes may have gone on to get more and more boos as time went on, which led to an ugly few months as he tried his best to get the audience on his side, but during this feud something worse happened - indifference from the crowd. At least during his feuds with Malakai Black, Andrade El Idolo, and Sammy Guevara, he received the biggest boos out of anyone, but during this feud fans didn’t really cheer or boo much. This was a major low point for Rhodes, whose last year in AEW felt underwhelming and messy for the most part, which is a shame given how pivotal he was to the creation of the entire company.