Cody Rhodes Is One Hell of a Supervillain

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If there's one reason why I can't completely hate on last night's episode of RAW, it has everything to do with Cody Rhodes. Randy Orton, who has made a recent history of being a souped-up version of Batman when it comes to threats from heels, took it on the chin from perhaps the two best characters in WWE right now. I guess that seeing Orton take a beating was even more satisfying given that I had to spend the summer watching Orton whip Christian like a rented mule (the matches were good, yes, but as I encapsulated in my SummerSlam review, nearly every match had the disparate vibe to it), but the topping on the segment was the ending of it, with Rhodes placing the paper bag on Orton's head and asking if he wanted a receipt with his bag. If this was the first really great performance by Rhodes, it'd be impressive anyway, but he's been really laying it on thick lately.

Some people don't like the schmaltzy delivery of Rhodes' promos. I understand that it can be an acquired taste, but at the same time, at the heart of wrestling for me has always been schmaltz, overacting, ostentatious characters who border on caricature. That is to say I love that Poopie. Wrestling works for me as theater of the absurd as much as it does when it's tense and realistic. That's the beauty of wrestling; it's so versatile an entertainment medium that nearly everything works. Then again, for me the over-the-top characters always worked better for me. Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to Chikara. Rhodes stands out so much because he feels larger than life, like a cartoony supervillain, as Brandon Stroud pointed out on today's Best and (mostly) Worst of RAW. I've been comparing him to a literary antagonist over the past few weeks on social media, the Phantom of the Opera. From his overly theatrical delivery to his mask, the comparison is almost perfect. He just needs to hang out in the boiler room for it to work. Seriously, vignettes with him playing off Mankind would kinda rule.

But more than just his execution, there's also the fact that he may be the most fully realized character that the WWE has developed in the last year or so. Even CM Punk regressed to the point where he kissed Triple H's ass rather than be an agent for change. Rhodes, whether accidental or in a grand stroke of master storytelling that has been such a fluke for WWE Creative, has evolved so much in the last year. I didn't think he'd last three months after Legacy broke up, but then he took the "Dashing" Cody Rhodes character and ran with it. It was a great starter character for a guy just coming out of a tag team, and it totally made for some great vignettes in his weekly grooming tips. As with any character though, it had to evolve. Whether it was planned all along or whether it really WAS an injury, the angle where Rey Mysterio "destroyed" his face gave him such an opening to develop his persona. Whatever the circumstance, Rhodes' origin story and rise to the top has felt so much like it came out of a comic book. I guess it makes sense since wrestling and comics have more than a few similarities.

Like Collin commented yesterday and Stroud wrote in the Best and Worst, wrestling is best when the roster is more Street Fighter than UFC. It seems like Rhodes is one of the few who harkens more to the character side than the "fighter" side, which is why he stands out so much. It helps that he puts so much gusto into performances as well. Either way, WWE wouldn't be worse off to give Rhodes more of a platform. Who knows, maybe he'll inspire more characters and fewer boring NXT name generator products with no discernible traits other than that they're athletic 'n Poopie.

Good read.... I dont follow Smackdown very closely but Rhodes' rise has been so well paced & the evolution from 'Dashing' 'bag head' has been refreshing.

Let's hope this push continues & leads to a world title reign towards the back end of 2012.

Your spot on the money with this atricle, the devolpment and delivery of cody's charater has been one of the best things about Wrestling over the last few months along with the BFG series and Robert roodes rise. I have always enjoyed characters that have a larger than life persona and Cody has really taken the ball and ran with it, I can see him going on to be a major star and leading the wwe into the next generation as he is still very young and has a long career ahead of him.

I know I'm in the minority - but I'm just not getting Cody Rhodes. The voice he puts on during promos actually makes me cringe to the point where I really just want him to shut up.

He's not as good a heel as Mark Henry is right now.

You surprise me with that Electric, you've always been one for more personality and old school gimmicks and characters, here is one in Rhodes and you're not a fan.

I like the voice and the disjointed look on his face as he delivers promos. He's long been shining, but now it seems like he's going to be given a run with the ball so to speak.

As you say in your article, just how big a slice of luck was it that Rey injured him (I'm assuming it was legit here) and he wore that mask?

To be fair I believe that he has a fairly major lisp so his voice, in that slow manner, is probably to ensure that he can still be easily understood.

I do think that he and Dolph are both doing great and can both step up the next level. I hope that the incidents with Randy Orton recently mean that he is going to get a solid feud at that level. I wouldn't even mind him dropping the title if Randy were to cost him at Vengence and then through the SS match (if both are involved) then they can have a good feud which can pitch Cody into the main scene.

I would love them to go all the way through to have an upper level feud (non-title) at WM, though I suppose it depends on whether Randy is available or if he will be in the WHC scene.

Hero wrote:You surprise me with that Electric, you've always been one for more personality and old school gimmicks and characters, here is one in Rhodes and you're not a fan.

It doesn't feel natural - it feels forced.

The comparison is made to Mankind in the article. Mick Foley was so immersed in that character that it felt completely real, and totally deranged - this looks like someone putting on a silly voice (in my opinion)

I love the more gimmick based, character wrestling as you said - but the character has to suit the "actor".

To be honest, I like most of what he's doing. I suppose I'd just change the voice - I think it soils the performance.

I'm with Electric Demon on this. I'm a fan of Cody and what he's doing but the voice is really bad and very forced. By all means talk slow and deliberately but he sounds like he's trying to impersonate Undertaker. Badly.

If he talks slow and deliberately it seems too much like Jericho and Orton to me. I prefer that he mixes it up a little and adding the disjointed voice adds to the disturbed nature of the character he is portraying.

I think Cody is doing a cracking job. I love the way he talks and he is portraying the character excellently. He will have a great feud with Randy. The only thing I didn't like was him bagging Randy - how rude!!! lol. Its fun to watch Cody and I am pleased he is moving up the ladder.

For me he is one of the only reasons I'm still interested in wwe at the minute. His feud with orton should be be really good but for Rhodes to make that next step he needs to come out on top. If orton squashes him it will ruin the last 6 months

Electric Demon wrote:I know I'm in the minority - but I'm just not getting Cody Rhodes. The voice he puts on during promos actually makes me cringe to the point where I really just want him to shut up.

He's not as good a heel as Mark Henry is right now.

Yeah I'd say you're definitely in the minority here, I couldn't disagree with every aspect of this post more, it's a great analysis in the article

You disagree that his voice makes ME cringe?

Rhodes needs put some emotion in his promos, its all well and good for him doing it in the manner he does but do it for too long and it becoms boring you want him to crack now and then showing a sadist pleasure from attacking Orton or rage at Orton attacking him it needs to draw real heat

He's showing bags of emotion (no pun intended) his whole character is based on hm being an emotional wreck

when he came out with the face shield before WM27 I said at the time I'd like him to be given time to really perfect the character before they evolve him again. I'm really happy the WWE have given him time because he really is one of the best things on either brand at the moment. The whole paper bag gimmick has taken his character to the next level and now he's IC champ there seems to be a legitimacy about him - like the WWE have given him the green light for a great push to come reminiscent of when guys like Bret Hart and HBK won the IC before going on the win the WWE title. Yes in that respect Rhode's character is old skool. He's definitely the number 2 guy in the company for me behind CM Punk. Dolph Ziggler should be up there imo but I'm not as confident he will get the push his talent deserves unlike Cody.

I too hope that Ziggler gets the spot he deserves. I think that he will because he has been paired with Vickie Guerrero for so long and I think that if they hadn't been hot on him then they would have moved her onto someone else.

Ziggler and Rhodes are the 2 great talents they have atm and who you would expect to be getting a main event push with in the next 12 months.

Hopefully they keep up their good work and start building some other guys when Cody and Dolph make the step up. Swagger is a must to be built up again as he is so talented in ring and then possibly Ted but sadly I expect to see Mason Ryan getting a push before them two.

Stonee21 wrote:Ziggler and Rhodes are the 2 great talents they have atm and who you would expect to be getting a main event push with in the next 12 months.

Hopefully they keep up their good work and start building some other guys when Cody and Dolph make the step up. Swagger is a must to be built up again as he is so talented in ring and then possibly Ted but sadly I expect to see Mason Ryan getting a push before them two.

Swagger needs to brush up on his mic work. It is noticeable that he has been getting some mic time recently but less than the likes of Dolph (who has improved) and Otunga. I would say that he is probably about 12 months behind Dolph at present. Not sure if Evan Bourne has been legitimately injured and if so whether there will be any recourse to Swagger over that though.

DiBiase is a strange one. I have never thought he particularly had much charisma (though I didn't watch during Legacy time) and although he had the starlings of a programme with Cody it never went anywhere after the first PPV... thought it was all a little strange.

In terms of Mason Ryan can see him being built up and getting a US shot before being screwed out of it and then returning to learning the business. He has a good WWE look but I would say is even too green for them at present. As far as I know he has never spoken within the WWE and even the US champion needs some mic skills!

I wouldn't be too surprised to see Dibiase released in the next year, the only thing stopping that could be his dad and how good terms he is on with the WWE. Ted Dibiase hasn't really stood out at all, despite I think probably being WWE's original favourite of Rhodes and him.

I think Cody Rhodes has come on in leaps and bounds this year. From being another bland, interchangeable wrestler he's developed an interesting character and run with it.

My only concern with him feuding with Orton just now is that the Intercontinental title (which Rhodes and WWE have done a pretty good job of starting to rebuild) will take a backseat during this feud.

Y2D2, depends. I hope that they go for the line of Rhodes cost Orton what he wanted (WHC) so he wants to cost Rhodes the thing that means most to him, the IC title. That would mean that the title would still be important.

The alternative would be Rhodes dropping it (being costed it by Orton) beforehand

Can't see rhodes dropping the title straight away, not since he's just brought back the classic title...If anything I think they've brought in this fued with orton far too soon, it could of waited until the new year, they should of let him keep beating mid cards get a streak behind him until say the rumble time then start the fued from there.

Whats happened to the fued between him and ted anyway why has that all of a sudden ended!?

@ voiceofthevoiceless, firstly great name, secondly the angle between Cody and ted started the Friday night before night of champions and ended at said ppv after one match! Another example of the considerate, well thoughtout, fan focused wwe booking.

Cody on raw this last week reminded me of Patrick Bateman ( Bale) from American Psycho ( great movie btw)

Of course, that's what he reminds me of - that explains why I am liking it so much. American Psycho is my favourite film

I think it would do the IC title the world of good to actually have Randy Orton trying to take it off Cody Rhodes. Orton, one of the biggest stars in the WWE who was WHC a few months ago actively seeking to have the IC belt would give it more prestige. I would even go so far to have him win it at s PPV and have Cody claim it back the next Smackdown.