From the moment Cody Rhodes made his WWE debut, it was obvious that he had the potential to be a main event star. He was smooth in the ring, strong on the mic, and developed into a great character worker.
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Unfortunately, he found chances hard to come by, especially towards the end of his WWE career, but since leaving the promotion, he has become one of the hottest stars in the industry. In addition to being one of the minds behind the success of AEW, Rhodes has taken his in-ring game to a whole new level, fulfilling his potential in a big way. A lot of his singles matches have received critical acclaim, especially from Dave Meltzer.
10 Vs. Jake Hager At Fyter Fest Night 1, 2020 (4 Stars)
On the first night of Fyter Fest, Cody defended his TNT Championship against Jake Hager. Expectations were not too high going into the match, considering the fact that Hager is relatively limited in the ring. But to their credit, both men worked a great match.
After some mat wrestling, things got physical when Hager went after Arn Anderson. As the match progressed, the Nightmare Family got increasingly involved, in the hopes of helping Cody retain the championship. Cody got a quick pin to hold onto the gold, in a surprisingly fun match that received 4 stars from Dave Meltzer.
9 Vs. Kota Ibushi At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 (4.25 Stars)
Heading into Wrestle Kingdom 12, Cody offered to defend his ROH World Championship against Kota Ibushi. What was initially expected to be a championship match instead turned into a regular singles match due to Cody dropping the title to Dalton Castle in December.
From the moment the bell rang, Cody was far more aggressive than he usually had been, as he worked with Brandi Rhodes to pit the odds against Ibushi. The final sequence saw both men hit a number of high impact moves before Ibushi picked up the hard-fought win with a Phoenix Splash. The match received 4.25 stars.
8 Vs. Kenny Omega At ROH Supercard Of Honor XII (4.25 Stars)
The penultimate match on the Supercard of Honor XII card saw Cody take on Kenny Omega in a singles match that ran for nearly 40 minutes. The issues between both men began at Dominion 6.11 at Osaka-jo Hall, when Cody intended to throw in the towel on Omega's behalf during his match with Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Both men worked a wildly entertaining match full of great action and near falls before Cody managed to pick up the win. The match was very positively received and earned 4.25 stars from Meltzer.
7 Vs. Eddie Kingston On AEW Dynamite, July 22nd, 2020 (4.25 Stars)
As Dynamite came on the air, Cody was already in the ring, ready to defend the TNT Championship in an Open Challenge. His challenge was answered by Eddie Kingston, who cut a passionate promo before convincing Cody to make this a No Disqualification match.
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Both men worked a strong match, with Cody focusing on Kingston's knee after he twisted it. A couple of big spots later, which included a powerbomb onto thumbtacks, Cody made Kingston tap out to the Figure-Four Leglock to retain the championship. The match was given 4.25 stars by Dave Meltzer.
6 Vs. Jungle Boy On AEW Dynamite, June 3rd, 2020 (4.25 Stars)
After becoming the number one contender to the TNT Championship, Jungle Boy took on Cody for the championship on June 3rd in the main event. As soon as the bell rang, Cody upped the aggression in his first title defense.
Jungle Boy used his opponent's emotions against him to fight his way into the match. A huge spot also saw both men come crashing through a table before Cody was able to pick up the pinfall victory. After the match, Cody appreciated Jungle Boy's efforts. While the use of blood was wholly unnecessary, it was still enjoyable and received 4.25 stars.
5 Vs. Darby Allin At Full Gear, 2020 (4.25 Stars)
In the fourth match on the Full Gear card, Cody defended his TNT Championship against AEW's resident antihero, Darby Allin. Allin outwrestled the champion early in the match, sending him to the floor feeling frustrated. A slam on the entrance ramp allowed Cody a way back into the match.
The contest had great sequences, which included a top rope Cross Rhodes. After a series of roll-ups, Allin finally pinned Cody to become the new TNT Champion. After several tense moments, Cody fell to his knees and presented the championship to Allin, with their match receiving 4.25 stars from Dave Meltzer.
4 Vs. Kazuchika Okada At NJPW G1 Special In The USA - Day 1 (4.5 Stars)
In the main event of the G1 Special in the USA, Kazuchika Okada defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Cody. The match was set up at Dominion earlier in the year, when Cody challenged Okada twice, once before and after his match against Kenny Omega.
This match was special, as Cody was the ROH World Champion at the time as well, making it the first champion vs. champion match in ages for NJPW. After working an almost 30-minute long match, Okada defeated Cody to successfully defend the gold. The match received 4.5 stars from Dave Meltzer.
3 Vs. Chris Jericho At Full Gear, 2019 (4.5 Stars)
In the last sanctioned match on the Full Gear card, Chris Jericho defended his AEW World Championship against Cody, with the added stipulation that if Cody lost, he would never challenge for the gold again. The two men worked a great match before Jericho trapped Cody in the Liontamer.
RELATED: 10 Best Years Of Chris Jericho's Career, Ranked
MJF, Cody's best friend at the time, threw in the towel on behalf of his friend, bringing the bout to an end. He feigned tears before hitting Cody with a low blow as he turned heel to a chorus of boos. The awesome match earned the performers 4.5 stars from Dave Meltzer.
2 Vs. Brodie Lee On AEW Dynamite, October 7th, 2020 (4.5 Stars)
On the October 7th episode of Dynamite, Cody sought to reclaim his TNT Championship when he took on Brodie Lee in a Dog Collar Match. After being destroyed by the leader of the Dark Order when he first had the gold, history was not in favor of the challenger.
The match itself was an immensely violent, bloody affair. There was no unnecessary use of weapons, as both men limited themselves to just brutalizing one another with the steel chain. After kicking out of the Cross Rhodes at one, Lee fell to another finisher, making Cody a two-time TNT Champion. The match received 4.5 stars.
1 Vs. Dustin Rhodes At Double Or Nothing, 2019 (5 Stars)
The first-ever pay per view under the AEW umbrella included some great matches. But none of them came even remotely close to Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes. Cody was cerebral and violent, while Dustin Rhodes rolled back the years once more to deliver a performance for the ages.
It was exceptionally violent, Dustin bled a little too much for comfort and Cody picked up the most emotional win of his career. The post-match angle was also perfect, as a tearful Cody asked his brother to team with him at Fight for the Fallen, as they embraced in the ring. This was not just a match, it was an experience that earned 5 stars from Dave Meltzer.
NEXT: AEW: 5 Reasons Cody Should Stay A Face (& 5 Why Rhodes Should Turn Heel)
