Cody and Dustin Rhodes are the sons of the original blue-collar working wrestler Dusty Rhodes. While Dustin has had the longest career out of the two, both Cody and Dustin share several qualities of their father and have shown a profound love for professional wrestling during their matches.
The Rhodes brothers have stood together and across from one another in the ring. But no matter where they are or what they accomplish, some qualities always make Dustin and Cody Rhodes similar and forever connected to their father.
7 Working Midcard Champions
Despite both having immense talent and showcasing their charisma on the microphone, Cody and Dustin Rhodes never quite reached main event status. Cody had a successful run as Intercontinental champion in WWE and had won multiple championships outside the company, but he was never a WWE champion. And while Dustin did end up winning 23 titles in total, it's arguable that he had more success in the tag division.
Cody and Dustin are what many in the industry would call working mid-carders. They were relied on for great matches throughout their careers, but they were always a couple of steps below the person the company was looking to push.
6 Connection To WCW
The Rhodes brothers have connections to the promotion their father worked in for the better part of a decade, WCW. Dustin had several runs in WCW, including becoming United States Heavyweight Champion. And like his father before him with WCW, Cody also became a pro wrestling company committee member in AEW.
Fans who watched Cody's time in AEW often thought he brought some WCW influences and an old-school booking mentality to his matches. Cody has even blasted WWE multiple times for how they have used two events created in the 80s by his father, The Great American Bash and Starrcade.
5 Numerous Tag Partners
It's funny that Cody and Dustin Rhodes only teamed with one another during one brief period in WWE as The Brotherhood(and yes, as Gold and Stardust). While they did eventually win the WWE Tag Team Championships, ask any fan of the two, and they'll probably say both men had more memorable moments teaming with other people in their careers.
Perhaps the more memorable partner for Dustin was Booker T when Dustin was in his flamboyant gimmick as Goldust playing off against the straight man. Meanwhile, Cody had successful runs with Hardcore Holly, Damien Sandow, and Ted DiBiase Jr. Maybe it's more of an issue of quantity than quality regarding their tag careers. Still, The Rhodes Brothers seemingly spent more time tagging with other people than with themselves.
4 Flamboyant Side Of Themselves
The Rhodes brothers have shown that they can commit to a gimmick for long periods in WWE. Dustin was "The Bizzare One" Goldust, and Cody was a spiritual successor to his brother's character, Stardust. Cody also had the dashing and undashing gimmick while competing on SmackDown.
Indeed, the Rhodes brothers inherited their father's flamboyant personality and uniqueness in the ring. Dusty Rhodes wore polka dots while wrestling in WWE, yet he made the most of a silly situation. As long as the Rhodes family was into it, they fully committed to making their gimmicks work.
3 Blood, Sweat, And More Blood
Many fans often think the wrestler who has bled the most in pro wrestling is Ric Flair. However, Cody and Dustin Rhodes could probably make a case that they have shed more blood in AEW than anyone has ever had in WWE.
One has to look at their match against one another at the inaugural Double or Nothing show. Both men bled throughout the match, with Dustin himself bleeding excessively. Dustin would later say that his excessive bleeding was because he had mistakenly gone in too deep while blading himself and hit a vein. While their match was a bloody affair, it did end up winning the prestigious PWI Match of the Year in 2019.
2 Their Time Working In Japan
Although the Rhodes Brothers will undoubtedly be most remembered for their work in the states, one shouldn't discount their accomplishments in Japan. In 1989, Dustin toured Japan as part of the All Japan Pro Wrestling champion carnival. He would later return to AJPW in 2007, competing against the likes of The Great Muta and Yoshihiro Tajiri.
Cody spent most of his time in Japan working alongside and against the likes of Kenny Omega, Juice Robinson, and Hangman Page. He also had an IWGP Heavyweight Championship match against Kazuchuckia Okada. It goes to show that no matter where the Rhodes brothers wrestle, they always manage to wrestle against some terrific opponents.
1 Technical, Ground, And Pound
Both Cody and Dustin Rhodes are tremendous technical wrestlers in their own right. They wrestle in a style that more mimics that of their father, which is more showmanship and psychology rather than finesse and agility. Cody, in particular, used many old-school maneuvers such as the Alabama Slam to turn the tide in matches.
Even examining the two's finishing moves, fans can see a connection. Goldust's Curtain Call relies on hooking the opponent's neck and getting him into a reverse headlock, similar to Cody's Crossroads finisher.