WRESTLING NEWS
Cody Rhodes' Entire Pro Wrestling Journey Explained
By ZACK HEYDORN
Amateur Wrestling Past
Cody Rhodes was a champion amateur wrestler in high school, amassing a 42-0 high school record at 189 pounds and winning the Georgia State Championship at that weight. However, he realized that a good financial living wasn’t possible in the amateur wrestling space, so he went into the family business, following the path of his father, Dusty Rhodes.
Hollywood Aspirations
Rhodes wanted to become an actor and then head to wrestling, because he felt too small. He shared, “I wanted to go to L.A. and become a famous actor [...] I figured if I were famous, they would have to take me.” He was a guest star on “Arrow,” where he played Derek Sampson in seven episodes between 2016 and 2018.
Dusty’s Training
Before receiving training under the WWE banner with Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), Rhodes’ first trainer was his dad, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, who “literally just gave [Cody] a bodyslam, a chop, and a hip toss when [he] was 12.” Rhodes credited Al Snow, Robert Gibson, Danny Davis, and Randy Orton as the men who actually trained him.
The Legacy faction
Rhodes’ first call to join the main roster was when he, Ted DiBiase Jr., and Randy Orton — three generational stars — created The Legacy, with Orton as the leader, and a bloodline connection to wrestling as the foundation. As The Legacy, Rhodes and DiBiase won the Tag Team titles and played a lead role in Orton’s blood feud with Triple H.
His Solo Venture
After The Legacy exploded in 2010 and the members went their separate ways, Rhodes leaned into his good looks and adopted the “Dashing” Cody Rhodes gimmick. His first singles title victory was winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship, and Rhodes has said that the IC title run “put [him] in the position to continue up the card.”