Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes finished his father's story at WrestleMania XL and became a three-time Undisputed WWE Champion — his full career, title reigns and records.
Cody Rhodes is an American professional wrestler whose second act turned a discarded WWE mid-carder into the biggest babyface of his era. The son of a legend, he left WWE in 2016, helped build a national competitor from nothing, returned in 2022 on a single stated mission — to win the world title his father never did — and completed it at WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024. What followed was three reigns as Undisputed WWE Champion, a record-tying run of signature wins, and, by the autumn of 2026, a fall back into the pack. He is the rare wrestler whose career reads as a complete narrative arc rather than a résumé.
| Vitals | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 30, 1985, Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Billed from | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Height / weight | 6’2”, 222 lb |
| Signature moves | Cross Rhodes, Cody Cutter |
| Family | Son of Dusty Rhodes; half-brother of Dustin Rhodes (Goldust) |
| Debut | June 16, 2006 |
| Status (Oct. 1, 2026) | SmackDown; former three-time Undisputed WWE Champion |
The bloodline
The name. Cody Garrett Runnels was born June 30, 1985, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the son of Virgil Runnels — “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion who became one of wrestling’s defining figures without ever holding WWE’s top prize. His half-brother is Dustin Rhodes, long known in WWE as Goldust. The lineage is not incidental to the story; it is the story, and it would be invoked explicitly a quarter-century later.
The pedigree. A two-time Georgia state amateur wrestling champion, Cody made his professional debut on June 16, 2006 in Ohio Valley Wrestling and reached WWE’s main roster the following year.
The first WWE run (2006–2016)
The grind. Across his first decade in WWE, Rhodes was a reliable hand who never broke through to the main event. He held multiple tag team titles — including a run alongside Ted DiBiase in the Legacy faction with Randy Orton — and was a two-time Intercontinental Champion. The work was consistent; the ceiling was low.
The exit. His frustration peaked with the “Stardust” gimmick, a face-painted character he felt buried him. On May 21, 2016, Rhodes requested his release, and WWE granted it a day later. He left as a cautionary tale about a famous name squandered.
The wilderness and AEW (2016–2022)
Proving it elsewhere. Freed from WWE, Rhodes rebuilt his reputation across the independent scene, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, winning the ROH World and NWA Worlds Heavyweight titles. The pivotal moment was All In in 2018, the first event by a non-WWE/WCW promoter to sell 10,000 tickets in the United States since 1993 — proof that a wrestler-led show could draw at scale.
Building a company. That proof became All Elite Wrestling. Rhodes co-founded AEW in 2019 and served as an Executive Vice President while wrestling on its cards. He became the inaugural AEW TNT Champion on May 23, 2020, defeating Lance Archer, and held the belt a record-tying three times. He departed AEW in February 2022, his contract lapsing without renewal.
Finishing the story (2022–2024)
The return. Rhodes reappeared in WWE on the first night of WrestleMania 38 on April 2, 2022, beating Seth Rollins. The reception was immediate and enormous.
The injury. Weeks later he tore his pectoral muscle, wrestled through it in a bloody, discolored-arm match at Hell in a Cell in June 2022, then sat out to recover — a bout that only deepened the connection with the audience.
The quest. Rhodes won the 2023 Royal Rumble on January 28 but lost to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 when Solo Sikoa interfered. He answered by winning the 2024 Royal Rumble — becoming the first man since Steve Austin to win back-to-back Rumbles — and pointing again at Reigns.
The finish. At WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024, under Bloodline Rules and with help from John Cena, The Undertaker and others, Rhodes beat Reigns to win the Undisputed WWE Championship. The victory ended Reigns’ 1,316-day reign and delivered the title his father never held. He had, in the phrase that defined the era, finished the story.
Champion, dethroned, and back again (2024–2026)
The first reign. As champion, Rhodes added the inaugural men’s Crown Jewel Championship on November 2, 2024, beating Gunther in Riyadh. His first title run lasted 378 days.
Cena. It ended at WrestleMania 41 on April 20, 2025, when John Cena beat him — a low blow, a belt shot and interference from Travis Scott — to capture a record 17th world championship, passing Ric Flair.
The rematch. Rhodes won the 2025 King of the Ring over Randy Orton to earn his shot, then reclaimed the title from Cena in a street fight at SummerSlam on August 3, 2025, at MetLife Stadium.
McIntyre. That second reign ended on January 9, 2026, in a Three Stages of Hell match against Drew McIntyre, decided by Jacob Fatu’s interference. Rhodes recaptured the title from McIntyre on the March 6, 2026 SmackDown for his third reign.
Orton and the fall. He retained against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42 on April 18, 2026 at Allegiant Stadium, to a notably divided crowd. The third reign closed on June 27, 2026 at Night of Champions, where Sami Zayn won a triple threat also involving GUNTHER to take his first world title.
The title picture (Oct. 1, 2026). Rhodes did not immediately rebound: he lost a personal grudge match to Randy Orton in September 2026, after which WWE reported a character shift rather than a heel turn. The Undisputed WWE Championship, as of October 1, 2026, was held by Sami Zayn in his second reign, won from CM Punk on the September 11, 2026 SmackDown.
By the numbers
Rhodes’ three reigns as Undisputed WWE Champion, the belt that defined his second WWE run:
| Reign | Dates | Days | Won from → lost to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Apr. 7, 2024 – Apr. 20, 2025 | 378 | Beat Roman Reigns (WrestleMania XL) → lost to John Cena (WrestleMania 41) |
| 2nd | Aug. 3, 2025 – Jan. 9, 2026 | 159 | Beat John Cena (SummerSlam) → lost to Drew McIntyre |
| 3rd | Mar. 6, 2026 – Jun. 27, 2026 | 113 | Beat Drew McIntyre (SmackDown) → lost to Sami Zayn (Night of Champions) |
Career totals
Ranks
- 1st Inaugural AEW TNT Champion (2020)
- 1st Inaugural men's Crown Jewel Champion (2024)
- 2nd Man to win back-to-back Royal Rumbles (after Steve Austin, 1997–98)
Honors
- 3× Undisputed WWE Champion (2024, 2025, 2026)
- WrestleMania XL main-event winner (2024)
- 3× AEW TNT Champion (inaugural, 2020)
- 2× Royal Rumble winner (2023, 2024)
- 2025 King of the Ring
- Inaugural Crown Jewel Champion (2024)
- 2× WWE Intercontinental Champion
- ROH World & NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion
Per WWE, AEW TNT Championship records and the Undisputed WWE Championship history, through Oct. 1, 2026.
The arguments
How much of AEW was his? Rhodes is credited as a co-founder and former Executive Vice President of a promotion that became WWE’s first real national rival in a generation. After his WWE return, that framing became contested — Rhodes himself has addressed a shifting narrative around his AEW contributions. One side holds that his departure validated AEW’s talent pipeline and that his imprint on the company’s launch is undeniable; another, voiced by critics within the AEW fan base, argues his on-screen booking and backstage influence are overstated in hindsight.
Did the story end too well? WrestleMania XL was widely called a perfect ending, which created its own problem: a definitive climax leaves nowhere obvious to go. Through 2025 and 2026 the babyface who once drew universal cheers heard audible boos at WrestleMania 42. Supporters read that as the natural cost of a long run at the top; detractors argue the character grew stale through overexposure — a reading WWE appeared to acknowledge with the reported plan to shift his character after the 2026 title loss.
Why it matters
Cody Rhodes’ significance is less about any single statistic than about the shape of his career. He is the clearest modern proof that a wrestler can leave the dominant company, help build a rival, and return not diminished but transformed into its top star — and that a multi-year storyline, patiently told, can land a championship win as the emotional payoff of a father-and-son narrative rather than the end of a title match. Whatever the 2026-27 seasons hold for a character in transition, the WrestleMania XL moment is already fixed in the sport’s history: the night the story was finished.