Cody

Cody in December 2018

###

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

**Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes** (born June 30, 1985), better known by the ring name **Cody Rhodes** or simply **Cody**, is an American professional wrestler. Rhodes is best known for his time in Ring of Honor (ROH) and its partner promotions New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a former one-time ROH World Champion, while also being a former one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion, a former one-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion in NJPW and a former one-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion in NWA. He was also a member of the Bullet Club and later The Elite.

He is also best known for his time in WWE, where he was an two-times Intercontinental Champion, while a former six-times WWE Tag Team Champion.

Rhodes is the son of late WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes and the half-brother of foremer WWE wrestler Dustin Rhodes (better known by Goldust). After an amateur wrestling career that, he followed his father and older brother's footsteps into the professional ranks, he followed his father and older brother's footsteps into the professional ranks and joined WWE in 2006, before being promoted to WWE's main roster in 2007 and remained there for nine years, performing under his real name and later under the gimmick of Stardust, an overly deep, dramatic, and sparkling spin-off gimmick of his half-brother's Goldust character. During his time with WWE, Rhodes became a two-time Intercontinental Champion and was a prolific tag team wrestler, winning six world tag team championships with four separate tag team partners before leaving WWE in May 2016 after requesting his release.

Since leaving WWE, Runnels began wrestling in the international independent circuit and found success in numerous promotions. In the space of a year, he competed at WWE's WrestleMania, ROH's Final Battle and NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom events, as well as appearing for Impact Wrestling (formerly TNA) at Bound for Glory. In September 2017, Rhodes signed a multi-year deal with Ring of Honor, initially as a villainous and deeply hated heel, Cody joined the Bullet Club in early December of 2016, dubbed as "The American Nightmare", this led to Cody shifting into a heroic top-face, where since then, he became a one-time ROH World Champion and a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with The Young Bucks). As part of a working relationship with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Cody made appearances for the promotion and held the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. In September 2018, he won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, with he and Dusty becoming the first father and son to win the title. All totaled between WWE, AEW, NWA, ROH, and NJPW, Rhodes has held 15 championships, including two world titles, and in early fall 2018 held the NWA World, IWGP United States, and ROH Six-Man titles simultaneously.

In January 2019, Rhodes departed from ROH and NJPW and was unveiled as an executive vice president of the newly formed All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he would also serve as a wrestler. Outside of wrestling, he served as a judge on the competition series *Go-Big Show*, and stars with his wife Brandi Rhodes on the reality show *Rhodes to the Top*.

## Early life

Runnels was born in Charlottle, North Carolina. He had a successful high school wrestling career, attending Lassiter High School. He placed sixth in the 171 lb (78 kg) division as a sophomore. As a junior, he won the Georgia state tournament at 189 lb (86 kg) in 2003, and repeated as champion his senior year. He had planned to wrestle collegiately at Pennsylvania State University, but decided to become a professional wrestler instead. During his time in high school, Runnels also acted as a referee in his father's Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling promotion. After graduating high school, Runnels attended an acting school.

## Professional wrestling career

### New Japan Pro Wrestling (2016–2019)

On December 10, 2016, Runnels, billed as "The American Nightmare" Cody, appeared at New Japan Pro Wrestling's World Tag League finals via video package, announcing himself as the newest member of the Bullet Club. On January 4, 2017, Cody defeated Juice Robinson in his debut match at Wrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome. Cody's next NJPW match took place on May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2017, where he defeated David Finlay. After defeating Michael Elgin at Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall on June 11, Cody challenged Kazuchika Okada to a match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the G1 Special in USA. The match took place on July 1 at G1 Special in USA in Long Beach, California and was won by Okada. On August 13, Cody and Bullet Club stablemate Hangman Page unsuccessfully challenged War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

He faced Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in a losing effort. Cody had teased Ibushi about his history with Kenny Omega during the Wrestle Kingdom match and went to attack Ibushi, but was stopped by an enraged Omega. The tension would come to a head at The New Beginning in Sapporo on January 28, after Omega lost the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship to Jay White, Hangman Page challenged White to a title match, but Omega stopped him and handed White his newly-won championship. More members of Bullet Club came to the ring, including Cody. Cody berated Omega for not letting Page have his moment to challenge White, leading to Omega inadvertently shoving down Matt Jackson. The remaining Bullet Club members decided to leave the ringside area to let Cody and Omega discuss their differences, but Cody instead turned on Omega and Page went to assist Cody to further attack Omega, until Kota Ibushi made the save. The two would continue fighting over the leadership of Bullet Club, and at Honor Rising: Japan on February 24, Cody and Bullet Club stablemate Marty Scurll lost to Omega and Ibushi. During this time, Cody tried to split the Bullet Club by making Page and Scurll on his side and triyng to make The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) on his side. Cody and Page would continue feuding with Omega and Ibushi, leading to a match at Sakura Genesis on April 1, where Cody and Page managed to win. Cody would then face Ibushi on May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku in a winning effort. On July 7 at G1 Special in San Francisco, Cody unsuccessfully challenged Omega for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, ending their feud over the leadership. On September 30 at Fighting Spirit Unleashed, Cody defeated Juice Robinson to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title back to Robinson on January 4, 2019 at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome. On February 7, his profile was removed from NJPW's website.

## Other media

In July 2009, Rhodes became one of the faces of the Gillette "Be a Superstar" advertising campaign, along with Chris Jericho and John Cena. "Be a Superstar" was a four-month-long interactive campaign, which featured the wrestlers in numerous videos promoting Gillette Fusion products. In August 2009, Rhodes appeared on *The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien*.

Rhodes guest-starred on *Arrow* in the fifth-season episode "A Matter of Trust" playing Derek Sampson, a drug dealer turned metahuman with the inability to feel pain (Sampson's drug of choice was named Stardust in homage to Rhodes' WWE persona). Rhodes reprised the role on episode 21 of the fifth season of *Arrow*. In July 2018, Cody announced that his character would be back for a couple of episodes in Season 7 as well.

Rhodes also served as a judge on the competition series at TNT's *Go-Big Show*, and stars with his wife Brandi Rhodes on the reality show *Rhodes to the Top*.

## Personal life

Runnels is of partial Cuban descent through his maternal grandfather. His father was WWE Hall of Famer, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, and his half-brother Dustin, who is better known by the ring name Goldust. On March 31, 2007, Cody and Dustin inducted their father into the WWE Hall of Fame. He also has two sisters, Teil Gergel and Kristin Ditto, who is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. He is the nephew of former professional wrestlers Jerry Sags and Fred Ottman, and the godson of Magnum T.A.

In September 2013, Runnels married Brandi Reed, who worked for WWE as a ring announcer under the name Eden Stiles.

Runnels is a fan of *The Legend of Zelda* video game series and incorporates its style in his wrestling gear; he has stated he replays *A Link to the Past* yearly. Runnels is also a comic book fan and has worn wrestling gear inspired by Archangel and Mister Sinister, characters from X-Men. He cites Omega Red and Cyclops as his favorite fictional characters, along with the Inhumans. He personally owns a game cabinet of the 1992 X-Men arcade game.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *American Nightmare* (Inverted Indian deathlock); used rarely
	+ *Cross Rhodes* (Step-up rolling cutter)
	+ *Din's Fire* (Back to back double underhook piledriver)
* **Signature moves**
	+ Ankle lock
	+ *Alabama Slam* (Double leg slam)
	+ Backslide
	+ Brainbuster, sometimes while avalanching
	+ Boston crab
	+ Bulldog, sometimes from the second rope
	+ Butterfly lock
	+ Cross armbreaker
	+ Crossbody, sometimes from the top rope
	+ *Cody Cutter* (Diving springboard cutter)
	+ *Dark Matter* (Arm hook legsweep reverse STO)
	+ *Diamond Dust* (Leg hook reverse STO)
	+ Elevated DDT
	+ *Falling Star* (Springboard senton from the ring apron to the outside of the ring)
	+ Figure-four leglock
	+ Heel hook
	+ Knee drop
	+ Lariat
	+ Moonsault onto a standing opponent
	+ Multiple kick variations
		- Bicycle
		- *Disaster Kick* (Springboard roundhouse)
		- Drop, sometimes while springboarding
		- Dropping down and kicking the opponent's head
		- Football to the midsection of an opponent holding onto the ropes and in a wheelbarrow hold
		- Super
	+ Multiple strike variations
		- Back elbow
		- Backhand chop
		- *Bionic Elbow* (Rolling elbow stamp), usually preceded by close-fist punches - adopted from his father
		- Chop smash
		- Close-fist punch
		- Dropping down and uppercutting the opponent, as a back body drop counter - adopted from his father
		- Elbow
		- Elbow stamp
		- Headbutt
	+ Multiple suplex variations
		- Super
		- Vertical
	+ Muscle buster
	+ Reverse suplex slam
	+ Running jackknife pin
	+ Running rolling clutch
	+ Russian legsweep
	+ Single-leg Boston crab
	+ *Silver Spoon DDT* (Flowing DDT)
	+ Schoolboy
	+ Small package
	+ Snap scoop powerslam
	+ *Stinger Splash* (Running body splash to a cornered opponent)
	+ Topé suicida
	+ *Tiger Driver '98* (Double underhook piledriver)

* **Managers**
	+ Brandi Rhodes
* **Wrestlers managed**
	+ Brandi Rhodes
* **Nicknames**
	+ "The American Nightmare"
* **Entrance themes**
	+ "Kingdom" by Downstait (August 19, 2016 – January 4, 2019)
	+ "Shot'Em" by [Q]Brick (NJPW) (Used as a member of Bullet Club)

## Championships and accomplishments

* **National Wrestling Alliance**
	+ NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **New Japan Pro-Wrestling**
	+ IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **Ring of Honor**
	+ ROH World Championship (1 time)
	+ ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Young Bucks
	+ ROH Wrestler of the Year (2017)
* ***Sports Illustrated***
	+ Wrestler of the Year (2018)