Former AEW star Cody Rhodes has had an illustrious career in the world of professional wrestling. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest feuds in the American Nightmare’s career. This list covers Rhodes’ work in both WWE and All Elite Wrestling
The rise of MJF
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is one of the biggest stars in AEW. He is the current World Champion in the promotion. But he grew from being a nobody to the future of the company thanks to his rivalry against Cody Rhodes.
After he and his wife were constantly being disrespected by MJF, The American Nightmare had been wanting to get his revenge against the Salt of the Earth. After successfully overcoming multiple challenges laid out by Maxwell Jacob Friedman, the two wrestled each other at the Revolution pay-per-view.
The self-proclaimed Devil of AEW defeated Rhodes. From that point on, his career skyrocketed.
Cody Rhodes is the TNT Champion
The American Nightmare captured the TNT Championship in May 2020 at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view. He was the inaugural champion. He defeated Lance Archer in the championship tournament finals to earn the title. The AEW Executive Vice President had a successful run as the TNT Champion.
His title run was in jeopardy when Brodie Lee made his way to the Jacksonville-based promotion. The Exalted One quite convincingly managed to end Cody’s long reign as the champion. The two’s rivalry heated up following Rhodes’ defeat. He demanded that the two battle each other in a Dog Collar Match.
Both stars gave everything they had and in the end, Rhodes managed to defeat Lee and he regained the TNT Championship. It is to be noted that this was the late Brodie Lee’s final match in his career.
Cody Rhodes defeats Brock Lesnar
Probably one of the biggest opponents Rhodes has ever faced in his entire career has to be The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar. Both stars had wrestled each other earlier this year in a total of three matches.
The two had a victory against each other. The American Nightmare won the third and final battle between the two at the SummerSlam Premium Live Event. After the match, the Beast seemingly passed the torch and honored Rhodes by raising his hands and appreciating him.
The battle of the brothers
Ever since the two brothers had been working together in WWE, the wrestling world wanted to see them wrestle each other in a one-on-one match. In 2015, the two brothers faced each other for the first time. It was at the Fastlane Premium Live Event. Goldust faced Stardust (the gimmick played by Cody). While it was a tough fight between the two, the fans were not too pleased.
The brothers finally got a rematch that the fans wanted after they joined AEW. Both battled at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view. It was a literal blood bath. With tons of blood lost between the two, Cody finally managed to pick up the win against his elder brother.
The American Nightmare returns to WWE
The American Nightmare shocked the wrestling world when he left AEW in early 2022. After which he signed a deal with WWE. He made his return to the Stamford-based promotion at WrestleMania 38.
When making a return after almost seven years, Rhodes needed to rebuild his character by feuding with one of the top stars. The wrestler was none other than Seth Rollins. Both stars wrestled on three separate occasions. Each match proved to be an instant classic. Rhodes established himself as a top star in the company by defeating The Visionary in all three matches.
Some other notable wrestlers that Rhodes has competed against are Malakai Black and Nick Aldis.
What is your favorite match involving Cody Rhodes? Share your picks in the comments section below.
