Cody Rhodes’ 11 Best WWE and AEW Opponents

Cody Rhodes confronts Kenny Omega in the ring in New Japan Pro Wrestling, January 2018

The path Cody Rhodes took to becoming one of wrestling biggest stars was an unconventional one. Rhodes entered the business simply as the son of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, and seemed to be a natural fit for the industry. But a generally lackluster first decade in WWE would lead to him seeking greener pastures.

Rhodes would go from WWE to the independent wrestling scene, to Japan, to starting AEW, and eventually, back to WWE as a top name. He worked with some of the best talent in the world along the way, cultivating an impressive resume of feuds in the process.

Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins
Image Credit: Anton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes have feuded at various points throughout their careers, including when Rollins was a member of The Shield. But it was upon Cody’s return to WWE in 2022 the intensity kicked up.

Rhodes was Rollins’ mystery opponent at WrestleMania 38, and the two put on a series of all-time classics. Their trilogy of matches concluded inside the cell, where Cody (who had legitimately suffered a torn pectoral muscle) wrestled the entire match in the cage bruised and battered. The two brought out the best in one another, and Cody’s feud with Rollins changed the perception of his status on the card in WWE.

Roman Reigns

Professional wrestler Roman Reigns with the WWE Universal Championship
Image Credit: vindicatorprime, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Like Rollins, Roman Reigns had interactions with Cody Rhodes during his days in The Shield. Once Reigns became the longest-reigning WWE Champion of the last three decades though, his feud with Rhodes reached another gear.

Reigns stood atop WWE as “The Tribal Chief” in the heralded story of The Bloodline, a dominant near-four-year reign that saw him mow through opponents across the roster. Rhodes won the 2023 Royal Rumble match and elected to face Reigns at WrestleMania 39, and to the shock of many, he failed. He would spend the next year climbing the ladder in an attempt to face Reigns once more, and won the 2024 Royal Rumble match. Rhodes would dethrone Reigns as champion at WrestleMania XL in one of the most emotional main events in WWE history.

AJ Styles

AJ Styles
Image Credit: MikeKalasnik, CC BY-SA 2.0/Wikimedia Commons.

Once Cody became WWE Champion, he needed someone to feud with who could provide him major equity as “the guy.” Who better than “The Phenomenal One” to make that happen?

AJ Styles was Cody’s first program following WrestleMania XL, and the two immediately hit it off in the ring. They had a five-star battle at Backlash in front of a hot crowd in France, which sent Styles to the sideline for a few months. He returned and teased retirement before attacking Cody, setting up an “I Quit” match at Clash at the Castle. The two put on another stellar match, cementing Styles as maybe Cody’s best in-ring opponent.

MJF

Pro Wrestler MJF at AEW Double or Nothing
Image Credit: Scott Lesh, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman is one of Cody’s real-life proteges, and it carried over on-screen in AEW. Rhodes faced Chris Jericho at Full Gear 2019 for the AEW Championship with the caveat being if he lost, he would never fight for the world title again. MJF, in Cody’s corner, threw in the towel and forfeited the match to cost him.

This set off a highly personal feud between the two. Rhodes stepped into a prime spotlight as one of the best mic men in wrestling, as Max made him clear various hurdles in order to earn a match against him. This included a memorable cage match with Wardlow, and one of the most visceral segments in modern wrestling history, the 10 lashings of Cody with a belt. MJF would ultimately win their match at AEW Revolution.

Kenny Omega

Kenny Omega at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's Battle of Los Angeles 2008
Image Credit: Al Pavangkanan, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Bullet Club was one of the hottest factions in all of professional wrestling throughout the mid-to-late 2010s, and Kenny Omega was at the forefront of its hottest period. Cody would challenge Kenny for the top spot in the group though, which led to a series of great bouts.

The two first faced off at Ring of Honor’s Supercard of Honor XII event, where Cody picked up a win that elevated him in the eyes of many of pro wrestling’s most hardcore fans. They would carry their feud into the G1 Special in San Francisco in 2018 as part of New Japan, where Omega successfully defended the IWGP Championship against Rhodes in a match that solidified Rhodes as one of the top names in wrestling. This was critical, as months later, they would join together to launch AEW.

Dustin Rhodes

American professional wrestler Dustin Rhodes in October 2019
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Dustin Rhodes shares the same distinction, and sometimes burden, Cody Rhodes carries: he’s a son of Dusty Rhodes.

The two were tag team partners in WWE, winning the tag team titles and having an emotional program with The Shield to save their jobs. But it was their work as opponents in AEW at the promotion’s first show that built their legacies even more, as they battled at the first Double or Nothing show. The match was a show-stealer, full of brutality, sweat, and tears. Cody would earn the win, but Dustin showed he still had the magic, and they reunited in an embrace afterward.

Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio @ Adelaide, South Australia 'Smackdown' house show on the 10th of April '05
Image Credit: Krystal Bogner, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Cody Rhodes was still up and coming in 2011, trying to break out on his own in WWE with a feud with a legend. Rey Mysterio was the perfect opponent, and it built off a natural circumstance.

Mysterio accidentally broke Rhodes’ nose in real life, and he began wearing a protective mask as a result. This would end up in Rhodes passing out plastic bags to fans to wear, as he went from “Dashing” to “Undashing” thanks to Mysterio. The two would feud for months, with Rhodes beating Mysterio at WrestleMania XXVII. Mysterio would get his win back at Extreme Rules the following month, but he helped Rhodes’ profile in WWE significantly along the way.

Randy Orton

Randy Orton as World Heavyweight Champion
Image Credit: David Krichmar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Rhodes was trying to find his way in WWE when he finally found a family in Randy Orton and Ted DiBiase Jr. Together, they formed the Legacy stable, which ran wild on WWE for nearly two years.

Rhodes and DiBiase Jr. were integral to Orton becoming WWE Champion in 2009, but their egos would all clash, leading to a triple threat match at WrestleMania XXVI between the three. Orton would earn the win, and Rhodes and Orton would spend time on and off over the next few years matching up. It is likely Orton and Rhodes will feud again in the near-future, meaning this rivalry is far from over.

Brodie Lee

Brodie Lee at Alpha 1's "Final Act 2"
Image Credit: Tabercil, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Cody Rhodes was an extremely important part of making Brodie Lee into a star in AEW. Lee had come over from WWE and immediately worked with Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship, but lost.

He was then paired with Cody while the latter was TNT Champion. Lee squashed Cody unexpectedly in just more than three minutes in August of 2020 on AEW Dynamite to win the championship, legitimizing him in the process. This sent Cody on a hiatus, only for him to return and challenge Lee to a Dog Collar match in October. The two had a vicious 20-minute match, which Cody won. It would also be the final match of Lee’s career, as he shockingly passed away a couple of months later.

Darby Allin

Darby Allin at Forbidden Door at the United Center, 6/26/2022
Image Credit: Carter Sterling, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Darby Allin was one of AEW’s first major projects, and Cody took it upon himself to go out and make him. That happened almost immediately, when the two faced off at Fyter Fest in 2019, AEW’s second show. There, the two went to a time-limit draw, despite Cody being a heavy favorite in the match.

Cody would become TNT Champion in 2020, and would use his reign as a chance to give people opportunities. That’s why Allin was the perfect name to challenge him at Full Gear, where he would defeat Rhodes for the title. The win legitimized Allin, as Cody was a top-tier star in the company. Allin continues to be one of AEW’s biggest names today.

The Rock

The Rock enters at Wrestlemania 29
Image Credit: Schen, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

The best still may be yet to come between Cody Rhodes and The Rock, but there is no denying “The Great One” was instrumental in Rhodes’ story heading into WrestleMania XL.

The original plan for the main event of the show was to see Roman Reigns defend his world title against The Rock in a battle between cousins. But fan support swayed overwhelmingly in Rhodes’ favor, resulting in plans being changed. The Rock turned heel for the first time in more than 20 years, evolving into his “Final Boss” persona that would try to punish Rhodes for ruining his main event. He pinned Rhodes in the main event of the first night of WrestleMania in a tag match, but would be unsuccessful in preventing him from winning the championship the following night.

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