Cody Rhodes has been a lot of things throughout his career. He was a member of Legacy. He was dashing. He sported a mustache, wore weird face paint, and eventually joined the Bullet Club. Now, he's helping to run an entire wrestling company. What a wild ride it's been for the talented performer.
Going by the nickname "The American Nightmare," Cody pays homage to his famous father. Though he's probably best known for his incredible character work, Cody Rhodes has also put together some great matches in his career. This is where you'll find the 10 best of the bunch, ranked.
10 Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio - WWE WrestleMania XXVII
In 2010, Cody Rhodes debuted a character known as "dashing." He was all about his good looks after being voted the most handsome Superstar. That all changed when he was hit by a 619 that saw Rey Mysterio's knee brace crack him in the face. The damage it caused forced Cody to wear a face mask.
His match against Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania XXVII had a lot of aggression built into it. They arguably stole the show on the biggest stage of them all. In a great twist of fate, Cody used Rey's knee brace as a weapon before winning with the Cross Rhodes.
9 Cody Rhodes vs. Kota Ibushi - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
A lot of fans were kind of displeased with Cody Rhodes' run in New Japan Pro Wrestling. They felt that his matches weren't up to the high bar set within the promotion. While that is a debatable point, almost no one can deny that one of Cody's finest hours with the company came at Wrestle Kingdom 12.
In front of over 30,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome, Cody Rhodes went head to head with Kota Ibushi. Cody was vicious and delivered a Cross Rhodes off the apron that looked like it broke Ibushi's neck. This ultimately gave Cody too much confidence, which cost him, as Ibushi rallied and won with an impressive Phoenix Splash.
8 Cody Rhodes vs. Kazuchika Okada - NJPW G1 Special In USA
However good the match against Kota Ibushi was, this remains the high point of Cody's time with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He got to be part of this historic main event. Cody closed out NJPW's first show in the United States against the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada.
The pace of this bout came off very well. Okada has mastered the art of ending a match on a high note, and that was the case here. Existing storylines for both Okada and Cody against Kenny Omega were brought into play to add to the drama. Okada retained after hitting the Rainmaker to continue a record-setting run as champion.
7 Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton - WWE Smackdown 11/4/11
Cody Rhodes held the WWE Intercontinental Championship for over 200 days between 2011 and 2012. During that time, he was a pivotal part of the SmackDown roster. That meant he engaged in rivalries with top stars like Randy Orton. Their feud led to a Street Fight on an early November edition of the show.
For many, this was a major turning point for Cody Rhodes. It was a stellar performance in a big situation against one of the most important wrestlers on the planet. Cody may not have won, but he showed the world that he was ready to be a major player in his own right.
6 Cody Rhodes vs. Nick Aldis - All In
All In was a special show. It was put on and promoted by Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks. It turned out to be a huge success that paved the way for All Elite Wrestling. On the card, Cody Rhodes found himself matched up against Nick Aldis for the NWA Heavyweight Championship.
This was truly a special match. Not only was it filled with the kind of old school drama that the NWA Heavyweight Title was known for, but it marked an emotional moment for Cody. When he won the title after 22 exhausting minutes, it meant Cody held the same title that his father became famous for.
5 Cody Rhodes, Goldust, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk & The Usos Vs. The Wyatt Family & The Shield - WWE Raw 11/18/13
Sometimes a match happens on weekly television and turns into unexpected gold. That was the case with this phenomenal hidden gem. A lot of people might not even remember that this happened. If you don't, it's worth seeking out on the WWE Network. The match pitted some of the company's top babyfaces against two dominant factions teaming up for the first time.
There's no doubt that this will go down as one of the most underrated matches in the history of Monday Night Raw. Twelve competitors should not be able to seamlessly move in and out of their spots to create magic this way. There aren't many better half-hour segments in Raw history.
4 Cody Rhodes And Goldust vs. The Shield vs. The Usos - WWE Hell in a Cell 2013
At Money in the Bank 2013, Cody Rhodes began the hottest stretch of his career. He stole the show that night, picked up a key win at SummerSlam, feuded with Randy Orton, and formed a fantastic tag team alongside his brother Goldust. They captured the WWE Tag Team Titles and defended them in this classic shortly after.
The Shield (Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) were the team Cody and Goldust dethroned, while the Usos were scorching and on the verge of breaking through. This is another hidden gem that needs to be seen. These three teams stole the show and let the world know how fantastic they all are.
3 Money in the Bank Match - WWE Money in the Bank 2013
To start the 2013 Money in the Bank pay-per-view, seven of WWE's top heels competed in the Smackdown Money in the Bank match. Despite the Philadelphia crowd not having a traditional babyface to root for, they rallied behind a select few. Dean Ambrose and Cesaro were probably the two they liked the most.
As the match progressed, it was Cody Rhodes who stole the show. He was involved in most of the big spots and put on the kind of performance that could make a star. As Cody got close to winning, the audience was captivated, but his tag partner Damien Sandow knocked him off the ladder to win. Regardless, this set Cody on the best run of his career.
2 Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. The Shield - WWE Battleground
Randy Orton defeated Cody Rhodes in 2013, which resulted in Cody getting fired. The same happened to Goldust soon after. The brothers returned with a vengeance and were led by their father Dusty. To officially earn their jobs back, they had to defeat the Shield, the most dominant stable in recent memory.
The match was filled with emotional highs and lows. The action in the ring was great, but it was the drama that really set this one apart. Dusty taking out Dean Ambrose at ringside shortly before Cody hit Cross Rhodes to win was the cherry on top.
1 Cody Rhodes vs. Dustin Rhodes - AEW Double Or Nothing
The most recent match on this list is also the best. In 2015, Cody Rhodes wrestled his brother Dustin (as Goldust) in a highly disappointing match at WWE Fastlane. Both wanted to have a better match, and they finally got the chance when he helped start AEW.
At All Elite Wrestling's premiere pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, Cody faced Dustin in what turned out to be a war. The brothers held nothing back against each other. It was a highly emotional bloodbath of a match that is perhaps the best thing seen on AEW to date. After Cody won, the siblings embraced and agreed to work as a team once again.