Top Five Cody Rhodes Matches In WWE 2024: Over the past couple of years, Cody Rhodes has gone from a massive new signing to the biggest babyface in WWE, to now being the face of the organisation as their world champion. The son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, Cody has been the biggest name that has gone from AEW to WWE, which has become a trend in the last year.
The 29-year-old got his start in the WWE all the way back in 2007 when he tagged with Hardcore Holly. From there, he became a part of the Legacy faction with Randy Orton, then became a popular midcard heel, winning tag team and Intercontinental championships along the way.
Frustrated by his place in the company, Rhodes left the WWE in 2016, became the biggest star on the independent circuit, and then played a massive role in kickstarting All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He was the face of the company despite not winning their world title. But in 2022, after leaving AEW, he made his grand WWE return against Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38.
Now the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, The American Nightmare is the face of the company and arguably their biggest star, alongside Roman Reigns. But it is not only his star power and charisma that have brought him where he is, but also his ability to have memorable matches.
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Cody Rhodes always seems to rise to the occasion and have a brilliant match at a big show. While not able to flip and dive like a cruiserweight, Cody depends on selling a story during his matches, which the fans eat up more often than not.
With all that being said, these are the five best Cody Rhodes matches in the WWE since his 2022 return:
Top Five Cody Rhodes Matches In WWE
5) Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 39)
Only a year following his return to the company, Cody was main-eventing Night Two of WrestleMania against the biggest star of the generation. While this one might be the more technically sound match between the two, one thing that brings it down a notch or two is its deflating finish, with Solo Sikoa helping Roman retain the title.
The Bloodline helping the Tribal Chief win had been an old recipe by then. And that happening in a WrestleMania main event left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths. Some even feared that this might slow down Rhodes’ momentum in WWE. But that did not happen, as the company managed to keep him hot for another year.
Despite what might have been a disappointing finish, the match itself felt like two titans colliding. After Cody won the 2023 Royal Rumble, the build of this match was like no other Roman match just because he looked fallible; it looked like he was actually going in as the underdog in a match after a long time.
And the match itself saw both men bring their A-game and bring out all the spots they don’t do on a weekly basis. So the presentation, the match, the occasion, and the build make it among the best matches in recent WWE history, and it is only brought down by its ending.
4) Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 38)
The first match since Cody Rhodes WWE return. After being a fixture of AEW TV for over two years, the company’s EVP decided to quit the promotion that he had helped build in early 2022. Around the same time, a storyline on WWE TV showed Seth Rollins struggling to get a match for WrestleMania 38. So just before the show, then-CEO Vince McMahon promised Visionary a match at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Come ‘Mania, it was Cody Rhodes who made his predictable yet unbelievable return to the company he left in 2016. That was a special night, and that was a special match. Rhodes returned with his AEW gimmick, from his mover, his mannerisms, his outfit, and even his attire.
The former TNT Champion showed how not only is he a massive asset in the ring by having the match of the night with Rollins, but also showed how popular he is with the WWE crowds despite not performing in front of them for six years. That night was just a glimpse of how the returning star could become the face of the company.
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3) Cody Rhodes vs AJ Styles (Backlash 2024)
Backlash 2024 was the first WWE premium live event in France. So naturally, the French crowd brought their A-game to the show. While the show and all the matches were good, everything was elevated a great deal by the crowd on that night, which stayed at fever pitch for the complete event.
And no match is this more true for than the main event, as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes made his first TV title defence against AJ Styles. The match was phenomenal (no pun intended) without any outside factors. But if we include what was arguably the best crowd in WWE history, that match became an all-time classic.
Apart from the crowd, this was a match between two veterans, two professionals, and two world-class workers. AJ Styles might be in his mid-40s, but he is still among the best in-ring workers in the world. And seeing how it was the first title defence of the popular guy’s first WWE Championship reign, he needed a match like this to set the tone for his reign, which is still going strong.
2) Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 40)
Choosing one match to be Cody’s best WWE bout from the top two is an impossible task. Both these matches are the perfect example of the type of match they are going for. But for now, we put the WrestleMania 40 Night Two main event at number two, although the top two can switch places any time.
Having lost the tag match against Roman Reigns and the Rock alongside Seth Rolling on Night One, the repeat of last year’s ‘Mania main event was a ‘Bloodline Rules’ match. Yes, the match was a little slow at the start and the crowd was a little tired after a two-night wrestling extravaganza, but the match picked up around the halfway mark, where the two wrestlers picked the pace up and did big moves.
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And then the interferences began. Like all Roman matches, it started with his lackeys, being Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. Jey Uso then came out and took out himself and Jimmy. And then it went to the next level as John Cena came out to even the odds, putting Sikoa through the announce table.
Next on the menu was nostalgia, as The Rock appeared and recreated his iconic staredown against Cena from WrestleMania 28 before laying him out. Seth Rollins then emerged with The Shield music and the old faction attire. Finally, it was The Undertaker who came out to remove The People’s Champion from the equation.
Reigns came into this match with a record-breaking world title reign of 1316 days. And to see that reign end at the hands of the most popular guy in the company might have been one of the best moments in WWE history and a proper start to its new era under Triple H’s leadership.
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1) Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins (Hell In A Cell 2022)
Not only the best match since Cody Rhodes WWE comeback, but also probably the best WWE match of the last decade. This is the match that saved the Hell in a Cell stipulation from becoming irrelevant. But it is the context that elevates this match to the highest degree.
Days before the blowoff match of a heated rivalry with Seth Rollins, Rhodes tore his left pectoral muscle completely off his shoulder. In no shape to compete, he was cleared by WWE doctors on account that, due to the muscle completely coming off the bone, wrestling a match could do no further damage.
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So on that day, the two wrestlers entered the storied structure. When Rhodes took off his jacket, the whole arena fell into stunned silence as they saw a massive purple scar covering the whole left side of his chest.
In that condition, Cody not only wrestled a Hell in a Cell match but wrestled one of the best matches of the condition in the past few years. Cody and Seth tore the house down. In one particularly gnarly and uncomfortable spot, Rollins pressed and drove a kendo stick into his injured peck.
While Cody Rhodes won the match, he was out with an injury for the rest of the year. But that is not as bad as it seems, as this match and his resolve in it made Rhodes from a popular WWE Superstar to the most over wrestler in the entire company.
Check Out: Top Five Cody Rhodes Matches In WWE
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