Cody Rhodes

Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (né Runnels; born June 30, 1985) ^[9][10] better known simply by his ring name Cody Rhodes, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. He is the current Undisputed WWE Champion in his first reign as both the WWE and Universal Champion. He is nicknamed "The American Nightmare" and is one of the most popular face wrestlers today. The son of Dusty Rhodes and the half-brother of Dustin Rhodes, he is married to Brandi Rhodes.

Cody Rhodes
Rhodes in 2024
Born	Cody Garrett Runnels (1985-06-30) June 30, 1985 (age 39)[1] Marietta, Georgia, U.S.
Spouse	Brandi Rhodes ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	1
Parent	Dusty Rhodes (father)
Relatives	Dustin Rhodes (half-brother) Magnum T. A. (godfather) Fred Ottman (uncle) Jerry Sags (uncle) Scorpio Sky (cousin-in-law)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Cody[2] Cody R[3] Cody Rhodes Fuego 2[4] Stardust
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[5]
Billed weight	220 lb (100 kg)[5]
Billed from	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.[6] Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. "The Fifth Dimension"[5] Marietta, Georgia, U.S.[7]
Trained by	Al Snow Danny Davis Dusty Rhodes Dustin Rhodes Randy Orton Ricky Morton Shawn Spears
Debut	June 16, 2006[8]

Rhodes started his wrestling career for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2006, working there for the next ten years. During this time, he became a two-time Intercontinental Champion and a six-time tag team champion (three-time World Tag Team Champion and three-time WWE Tag Team Champion).^[1][5] From 2014–2016, he was known as Stardust. Rhodes was released from WWE in May 2016.^[11] After that he worked on the Independent circuit, for Ring of Honor (where he won the ROH World Championship, the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which was also won by his father), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling/Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (where he was an important member of the Bullet Club and a former IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion).

On January 1, 2019, Rhodes joined the newly founded company All Elite Wrestling (AEW).^[12] There he was an executive vice president and a record-tying three-time TNT Champion (also being the first man to win the title). On February 15, 2022, he left AEW.^[13] That April he returned to WWE on the first night of WrestleMania 38, defeating Seth "Freakin" Rollins.^[14] He would go on to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship (his fourth Raw Tag Team Championship and his first SmackDown Tag Team Championship) and the Royal Rumble Match in 2023 and 2024, becoming the fourth wrestler to win that match twice in a row.^[15]

On April 7, 2024, at night two of WrestleMania XL, Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns to win the Undisputed Universal Championship. It was Rhodes' first world title in WWE and it also ended Reigns' record-setting 1,316-day reign. By winning, Rhodes also became a Triple Crown champion.^[16]

Acting career

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2016	Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon	Stardust	[17]
2017	The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania!		[18]
2023	American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes	Himself	[19]

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2009	The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien	Himself	Episode: "Mike Tyson and Keith Berry"
2010	Warehouse 13	Kurt Smoller	Season 2, episode 8: "Merge with Caution"[20]
2011	Food Network Challenge	Himself	Season 12, episode 11: "WWE Wrestling Cakes"
2014	Surprise Surprise		Episode: "Mothers Day Edition"
2016–2018	Arrow[21]	Derek Sampson	7 episodes Credited as Cody Runnels[22][23]
2018	WAGS Atlanta	Himself
2021–2022	Go-Big Show[24]	Judge
2021	Rhodes to the Top[25]	Himself
2023	Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix	Himself

Web series

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2013–2015	The JBL and Cole/Renee Show	Himself, Stardust	Series regular
2015–2016	Swerved		Two episodes[26]
2016–2022	Being The Elite	Himself	Series regular[27]

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur wrestling

• Georgia State Tournament
  • Sixth at 171 pounds (78 kg) weight class (2002)^[1]
  • Champion at 189 pounds (86 kg) weight class (2003)^[1]
  • Champion at 189 pounds (86 kg) weight class (2004)^[1]

Professional wrestling

• All Elite Wrestling
  • AEW TNT Championship (3 times, first)^[28]
  • AEW TNT Championship Tournament (2020)^[29]
  • AEW Dynamite Award for Best Moment on the Mic (2021) – accepting Dog Collar match on AEW Dynamite (September 30)^[30]
• Alpha-1 Wrestling
  • A1 Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ethan Page^[31]
• Bullet Proof Wrestling
  • BPW Championship (1 time)^[32]
• CBS Sports
  • Promo of the Year (2019) – "Silver spoon" promo on AEW Dynamite (November 7)^[33]
  • Smack Talker of the Year (2019)^[33]
• ESPN
  • ESPY Award – Best WWE Moment (2022) – returning to WWE at WrestleMania 38^[34]
  • Male Wrestler of the Year (2023)^[35]
• Global Force Wrestling
  • GFW NEX*GEN Championship (1 time)^[36]
• National Wrestling Alliance
  • NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[37]
• New Japan Pro-Wrestling
  • IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[38]
• New York Post
  • Match of the Year (2022) – vs. Seth "Freakin" Rollins at Hell in a Cell^[39]
  • Promo of the Year (2023) – shared with Sami Zayn on WWE Raw (February 13)^[40]
• Northeast Wrestling
  • NEW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[41]
• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1][42]
  • OVW Television Championship (1 time)^[1][43]
  • OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Shawn Spears^[1][44]
  • Fourth OVW Triple Crown Champion^{[1][44][42][43]}
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Match of the Year (2022) – vs. Seth "Freakin" Rollins at Hell in a Cell^[45]
  • Match of the Year (2019) – vs. Dustin Rhodes at Double or Nothing^[46][47]
  • Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2008)^[48]
  • Ranked No. 6 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2022^[49]
  • Ranked No. 10 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2023
• 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 (2 times)
    • Wrestler of the Year (2017)^[50]
    • Feud of the Year (2018) – vs. Kenny Omega^[51]
• Sports Illustrated
  • Men's Wrestler of the Year (2018)^[52]
  • Wrestler of the Year (2023)^[53]
• What Culture Pro Wrestling
  • WCPW Internet Championship (1 time)^[54]
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • United States/Canada MVP (2023)^[55]
  • Worst Gimmick (2015) as Stardust^[56]
• World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
  • WWE Championship (1 time, current)^[57]
  • WWE Universal Championship (1 time, current)^[58]
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)^[59][60]
  • WWE (Raw) Tag Team Championship^[a] (4 times) – with Drew McIntyre (1), Goldust (2) and Jey Uso (1) ^[61]
  • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jey Uso^[b]
  • World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Hardcore Holly (1) and Ted DiBiase) (2)^[62][63][64]
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)^[65][66]
  • Men's Royal Rumble (2023, 2024)^[67]
  • WWE Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament (2012) – with Damien Sandow^[68]
  • Slammy Award (2 times)
    • Outstanding Achievement of Baby Oil Application (2010)^[69]
    • Tag Team of the Year (2013) – with Goldust^[70]

Notes

1. The title was named "WWE Tag Team Championship" during his first three reigns. His fourth reign happened when the tile was renamed "WWE Raw Tag Team Championship" and was defended together with the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship, known combined as the "Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship".
2. Defended together with the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, known combined as the "Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship".