Cody Rhodes is an American professional wrestler and actor.
He’s currently under contract with WWE, appearing on the Raw brand and holding the title of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion in his debut reign. Additionally, he’s recognized for his tenure with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he held the role of executive vice president and became the first-ever and three-time AEW TNT Champion, matching a record.
Early life and Education
Rhodes, originally born Cody Garrett Runnels in Marietta, Georgia on June 30, 1985, is the son of Michelle Rubio and the legendary professional wrestler Dusty Rhodes. He has Cuban heritage from his mother’s side and has a sister named Teil. Additionally, he has a paternal half-brother, Dustin, who is also a professional wrestler, and a paternal half-sister, Kristin, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. He’s also related to professional wrestlers Jerry Sags and Fred Ottman, and is the godson of Magnum T. A., who was present at both Rhodes’ birth and baptism. During his teenage years, he legally changed his surname to “Runnels Rhodes”. Rhodes attended Lassiter High School, where he excelled in wrestling, winning the Georgia state tournament twice in the 189 lb division. Initially planning to wrestle at Penn State University, he chose to pursue a career in professional wrestling instead. He also worked as a referee in his father’s Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling promotion during high school. After graduating, he attended an acting school to further his skills.
Career
Wrestling
Rhodes attributes his initial wrestling training to his father, who began teaching him the basics at the age of 12. This early training focused on fundamental skills. As he progressed, he received training from several mentors including Al Snow, Danny Davis, Randy Orton, and Ricky Morton. Under his birth name, Cody Runnels, he made his wrestling debut in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) on May 13, 2006. In mid-August 2006, he partnered with Shawn Spears to form a successful tag team, capturing the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship twice. Additionally, Rhodes achieved individual success by winning the OVW Heavyweight Championship and the OVW Television Championship.
In 2007, Cody signed with WWE, the premier wrestling promotion worldwide, adopting his family’s surname, Rhodes, for his in-ring persona. His debut match on WWE’s flagship show, Raw, took place on July 16 against Randy Orton. By September, he captured the World Tag Team Championship alongside Hardcore Holly. Later, he formed a successful tag team with Ted DiBiase Jr., securing additional championship titles. In 2008, Rhodes joined forces with DiBiase and Orton, both third-generation wrestlers, to establish the heel stable known as The Legacy, adding depth and intrigue to his character portrayal.
In 2010, Cody Rhodes achieved tag team success once more, capturing the Unified Tag Team Championship alongside Drew McIntyre. The following year, in 2011, he claimed his inaugural solo championship by defeating Ezekiel Jackson to become the Intercontinental Champion. Rhodes held onto the title until he was pinned by The Big Show in the subsequent year. Engaging in a feud with The Big Show, Rhodes managed to reclaim the title, only to lose it shortly afterward to Christian.
In 2013, Cody Rhodes teamed up with his brother Dustin, known in the ring as Goldust. Despite their significant age gap of 16 years, they formed a formidable tag team. Their victory against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins at WWE Battleground 2013 was not just a triumph in the ring but also a symbolic win for their careers. This success continued as they clinched the WWE Tag Team Championship shortly afterward, holding onto the titles until the following year.
In June 2014, Rhodes adopted a new persona alongside Goldust, transforming into Stardust. With his eccentric character and elaborate face paint, Stardust brought a unique dynamic to their partnership. Together, they reclaimed the Tag Team Championship, further solidifying their bond and success as a team.
Betting on Himself
Following his departure from WWE in 2016, Cody Rhodes embarked on a journey through the independent professional wrestling circuit. He showcased his talent in promotions such as New Japan Pro Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, and Ring of Honor. Due to the trademarking of the name “Cody Rhodes” by WWE, he was typically billed simply as “Cody” or “Cody R.” During this period, he adopted the moniker “The American Nightmare,” a departure from his father’s famous nickname, “The American Dream.” Throughout his time on the independent scene, Cody competed fiercely and captured numerous championship titles across different promotions, solidifying his reputation as one of the industry’s top talents.
In 2017, a wrestling pundit’s Twitter comment questioning Ring of Honor’s ability to sell out a 10,000-seat arena sparked a remarkable response from Cody Rhodes. He saw it as a challenge and, alongside his friends, the Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson), organized an independent wrestling event called All In. Tickets for the show sold out in under thirty minutes, defying expectations and showcasing the demand for alternative wrestling content. This success laid the foundation for the birth of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2019, positioning itself as a major competitor to WWE. Rhodes, along with the Jacksons, assumed the role of co-executive vice presidents, contributing to the recruitment of new talent and the overall production of AEW. While primarily working behind the scenes, Rhodes also stepped into the ring for AEW, notably capturing the inaugural TNT Championship in 2020 and engaging in a high-profile feud with former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal.
Return to WWE
On March 18, 2022, reports from multiple sources confirmed Cody Rhodes’ re-signing with WWE. His return to the company was unveiled on the first night of WrestleMania 38, where he surprised fans by appearing as Seth “Freakin” Rollins’ opponent and emerged victorious, marking his comeback after six years. Rhodes declared his intention to pursue the WWE Championship, a title his father, Dusty Rhodes, never held, during the subsequent episode of Raw. In a rematch at WrestleMania Backlash, Rhodes once again defeated Rollins.
However, leading up to their Hell in a Cell match, Rhodes sustained a serious pectoral muscle tear, initially occurring during a brawl on Raw and worsening during weight training prior to the event. Despite the injury, Rhodes valiantly competed in the Hell in a Cell match, triumphing over Rollins in a highly praised encounter. The match received a rare five-star rating from Dave Meltzer, the first WWE main roster match to achieve such recognition since 2011. Following the event, Rhodes underwent successful surgery to repair his torn right pectoral tendon, sidelining him from competition for eight months.
On the January 16, 2023, episode of Raw, Cody Rhodes announced his return to competition in the men’s Royal Rumble match at Royal Rumble on January 28 through a pre-taped video. He went on to win the Royal Rumble match, securing victory by eliminating Gunther last. Following this triumph, Rhodes issued a challenge to Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39 during the subsequent episode of Raw. However, in the main event of the second night of WrestleMania, Rhodes was defeated by Reigns after interference from Solo Sikoa.
This booking decision sparked mixed reactions from fans, journalists, and fellow wrestlers. On the April 3 episode of Raw, Rhodes confronted Reigns once again and proposed a rematch, which Reigns declined. Rhodes then challenged Reigns and Sikoa to a tag team match later that night, with Reigns accepting on the condition that Rhodes’ partner must be someone who competed at WrestleMania 39 but could not challenge Reigns for his titles as long as Reigns remained champion. Rhodes selected Brock Lesnar as his partner, but the match never took place as Rhodes was viciously assaulted by Lesnar before it could begin.
Following his victory over Lesnar at Backlash, Cody Rhodes challenged Finn Bálor and The Miz for the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament on the May 8 episode of Raw. However, Lesnar’s interference prevented Rhodes from securing the victory. Rhodes then faced Lesnar at Night of Champions but suffered a kayfabe arm injury, contributing to Lesnar’s win. Despite this setback, Rhodes emerged triumphant against Dominik Mysterio at Money in the Bank, despite interference from Rhea Ripley. The following night on Raw, Rhodes was attacked by a returning Brock Lesnar before he could challenge World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. This set the stage for a rubber match between Rhodes and Lesnar at SummerSlam, which Rhodes won. Following the match, Lesnar endorsed Rhodes, signaling a hiatus for Lesnar for the remainder of 2023.
Cody Rhodes made a notable appearance as a guest on The Grayson Waller Effect at Payback, where he announced the reinstatement of Jey Uso, who had “quit” WWE, as a member of the Raw roster. Despite Cody’s arguments, wrestlers Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens remained distrustful of Uso due to his previous involvement with The Bloodline in their respective storylines. This led to a feud between Cody and Jey against The Judgment Day faction (Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio, and Rhea Ripley) over attempts to recruit Jey. At Fastlane on October 7, Cody and Jey captured the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship from Bálor and Priest, marking Cody’s first championship win since his return to WWE and his first tag title win since 2014. This victory gave Cody his fourth reign with the Raw Tag Team Championship and his first reign with the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
They successfully defended their titles against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn on Raw and Austin Theory and Grayson Waller on SmackDown. However, their reign ended abruptly on the October 16 episode of Raw when they lost the titles back to Bálor and Priest due to interference from Jey’s brother Jimmy, concluding their reign at 9 days. Despite their efforts, Rhodes and Jey failed to regain the titles from Bálor and Priest on the November 13 episode of Raw, with interference from Drew McIntyre. At Survivor Series: WarGames on November 25, Rhodes, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and a returning Randy Orton emerged victorious in a WarGames match against The Judgment Day faction and Drew McIntyre.
Back-to-back Royal Rumble Victories 
On the November 27 episode of Raw, Cody Rhodes declared his intention to compete in the men’s Royal Rumble match at Royal Rumble on January 27, which he ultimately won, eliminating CM Punk last. This victory marked the first time someone had won two consecutive Rumble matches since Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1997 and 1998.
Redemption
After his win, Rhodes pointed at Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, hinting at a potential showdown. During a post-Rumble press conference, Rhodes expressed his desire to face Reigns at WrestleMania 39, stating, “I want to be back in the ring with Roman Reigns and I want to finish the story.” However, on the February 2 episode of SmackDown, Rhodes surprised fans by announcing that he would not challenge Reigns at WrestleMania XL. This decision led to The Rock making a surprise appearance, confronting Reigns in the ring. Rhodes shook hands with The Rock and exited the ring, leaving the spotlight to Reigns and The Rock. This twist in the storyline received backlash from fans on social media, who felt it disrupted Rhodes’ long-term narrative with Reigns. However, during the WrestleMania XL Kickoff media event on February 8, tensions rose as Reigns and The Rock declared themselves the main event of WrestleMania XL without consulting Rhodes. In response, Rhodes asserted his right as the Royal Rumble winner to choose his opponent and announced that he had chosen Reigns. An exchange of words ensued, leading to The Rock slapping Rhodes and aligning himself with Reigns, officially joining the Bloodline faction.
On night one of WrestleMania XL, Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins suffered defeat against The Rock and Roman Reigns. This outcome set the stage for a Bloodline Rules match between Rhodes and Reigns on night two of WrestleMania XL. Despite the stipulations favoring Reigns, Rhodes emerged victorious, securing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship (which combines the WWE Championship and WWE Universal Championship). This victory marked Rhodes’ first world title win in WWE. On the April 12 episode of SmackDown, Rhodes announced his intention to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship at Backlash France against the winner of a 6-man tournament.
Acting
Cody Rhodes had a notable guest appearance on the fifth season of the TV series “Arrow” in the episode titled “A Matter of Trust.” He portrayed Derek Sampson, a former drug dealer turned metahuman who is unable to feel pain. Sampson’s drug of choice was named Stardust as a tribute to Rhodes’ WWE persona. Rhodes later reprised his role as Sampson in episode 21 of the same season. In July 2018, Rhodes confirmed that his character would return for Season 7, appearing in five episodes throughout the season. Additionally, Rhodes lent his voice to a fictionalized version of himself in the first episode of the 2023 animated series “Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.”
Personal life
Cody Rhodes, alongside his half-brother, inducted their father into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 31, 2007, commemorating Dusty Rhodes’ legendary wrestling career.
In September 2013, Rhodes tied the knot with ring announcer and former wrestler Brandi Reed. The couple shares one child together. Additionally, they have a Siberian Husky named Pharaoh, who has made appearances alongside Rhodes on both AEW and WWE programming, adding a touch of canine charm to his on-screen presence.
Net Worth
Estimated to be over 6 million dollars.