Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (born Cody Garrett Runnels; June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler, promoter, businessman and actor, better known by the ring name Cody Rhodes or simply Cody. He is a former executive vice president of All Elite Wrestling, where he also served as an in-ring talent.
Rhodes is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes and the half-brother of former WWE wrestler Goldust. After an amateur wrestling career that resulted in him becoming a two-time Georgia state champion, he followed his father and older brother's footsteps into the professional ranks and joined WWE in 2006, initially being assigned to the company's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). After becoming a Triple Crown Champion in OVW, he was promoted to WWE's main roster in 2007 and remained there for 9 years, performing under his real name and later as Stardust. During his time with WWE, Rhodes became a two-time Intercontinental Champion and was a prolific tag team wrestler, winning six tag team championships (three World Tag Team Championships and three WWE Tag Team Championships) with four separate tag team partners. Rhodes left WWE after requesting his release in May 2016.
Following his departure from WWE, Rhodes began wrestling on the independent circuit, also making several appearances in Total Nonstop Action (TNA). In the time frame spanning from early 2016 to early 2017, he competed at WWE's WrestleMania, Ring of Honor's Final Battle and the New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom events as well as appearing for TNA at Bound for Glory. In September 2017, Rhodes wrestled in ROH, where he became a one-time ROH World Champion, one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion (due to ROH's partnership with the National Wrestling Alliance), one-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion and a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with The Young Bucks)—at one point holding the NWA World, IWGP U.S., and ROH Six-Man titles simultaneously.
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- As Cody / Cody Rhodes
- American Nightmare / Deathlock (Modified reverse figure-four leglock)
- Cross Rhodes (Rolling cutter)
- Silver Spoon DDT (Flowing DDT)
- As Stardust
- Dark Matter (Modified reverse STO)
- Diamond Dust (Forward somersault cutter)
- The Queen's Crossbow (Rolling cutter)
- As Cody / Cody Rhodes
- Signature moves
- Alabama Slam (Double leg slam)
- Beautiful Disaster (Springboard roundhouse kick)
- Bulldog, sometimes from the second rope
- Crossbody, sometimes from the top rope
- Dropping down and uppercutting or kicking the opponent as a back body drop counter
- Falling Star (Springboard senton from the ring apron to the outside of the ring)
- Reverse suplex slam
- Knee drop
- Moonsault onto a standing opponent
- Multiple kick variations
- Drop
- Football
- Muscle buster
- Russian legsweep
- Springboard bionic elbow
- Managers
- Brandi Rhodes
- Cherry
- Ted DiBiase
- Wrestlers managed
- The Ascension
- Husky Harris
- Nicknames
- As Cody / Cody Rhodes
- "The American Nightmare"
- "Dashing"
- "The Essence of Mustachioed Magnificence"
- "The Grandson of a Plumber"
- "The Star That Left Them in the Dust"
- "Undashing"
- As Stardust
- "The Inter-dimensional Oddity"
- "The Prince of Dark Matter"
- As Cody / Cody Rhodes
- Entrance themes
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- "Is Anybody Home?" by Our Lady Peace
- "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" by The Darkness
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- "Out to Kill" by Billy Lincoln
- "Priceless" by Jim Johnston (used while teaming with Ted DiBiase)
- "Priceless" (Remix) by Jim Johnston (used while teaming with Ted DiBiase)
- "It's a New Day" by Adelitas Way (used as a member of Legacy)
- "Smoke & Mirrors" by TV/TV
- "Smoke and Mirrors (Ugly)" by Jim Johnston
- "Smoke and Mirrors" by Jim Johnston
- "Gold and Smoke" by Jim Johnston (used while teaming with Goldust)
- "Written in the Stars" by Jim Johnston
- "Kingdom" by Downstait
- Independent circuit
- "Kingdom" by Downstait
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
- "Kingdom" by Downstait
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- "Kingdom" by Downstait
- "Shot'Em" by [Q]Brick (used as a member of the Bullet Club)
- Ring of Honor
- "Kingdom" by Downstait
- "Shot'Em" by [Q]Brick (used as a member of the Bullet Club)
- All Elite Wrestling
- "Kingdom" by Downstait
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
Championships and accomplishments[]
Amateur wrestling[]
- Georgia State Tournament
- Champion at 189 pounds (86 kg) weight class (2003, 2004)
Professional wrestling[]
- All Elite Wrestling
- AEW TNT Championship (3 times)
- AEW TNT Championship Tournament (2020)
- AEW Dynamite Award
- Best Moment on the Mic (2021) – Accepting Dog Collar Match (September 30)
- Alpha-1 Wrestling
- A1 Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ethan Page
- Bullet Proof Wrestling
- BPW Championship (1 time)
- CBS Sports
- Promo of the Year (2019) – "Silver spoon" Promo (November 7)
- Smack Talker of the Year (2019)
- Global Force Wrestling
- GFW NEX*GEN Championship (1 time)
- National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- IWGP United States Championship (1 time)
- Northeast Wrestling
- NEW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- OVW Television Championship (1 time)
- OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Shawn Spears
- Fourth OVW Triple Crown Champion
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked #8 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2018
- Ranked #7 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2020
- Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2008)
- Match of the Year (2019) – vs. Dustin Rhodes (Double or Nothing)
- Ring of Honor
- ROH World Championship (1 time)
- ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Young Bucks
- ROH Year-End Award
- Feud of the Year (2018) – vs. Kenny Omega
- Wrestler of the Year (2017)
- Sports Illustrated
- Wrestler of the Year (2018)
- What Culture Pro Wrestling
- WCPW Internet Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
- WWE Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Drew McIntyre (1) and Goldust (2)
- World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Hardcore Holly (1) and Ted DiBiase (2)
- WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (2012) – with Damien Sandow
- Slammy Award
- Outstanding Achievement of Baby Oil Application (2010)
- Tag Team of the Year (2013) – with Goldust
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Worst Gimmick (2015) – as Stardust