'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABjAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAAGAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQREgAFBhMhIgEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAURAQAABAcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMhBSIkQVFScf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8Ayfz7cuXrjVtHpElStnCZJIXpmhQAa1H5A0yIBkW32XHuhLu48iqpQt1BcKhc0emgB8nGMHTMpdPF5YpYk6uexYl2OpH/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Cody Rhodes survived a hellish match against Brock Lesnar at WWE Backlash in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and escaped with the victory. On the latest episode of WWE RAW, The American Nightmare was looking to leave The Beast in the rearview mirror and focus his attention on the new World Heavyweight Championship tournament. However, it's clear that Brock was having none of that.
Lesnar cost Rhodes the opportunity to progress in the tournament, viciously attacking the 2nd generation star outside the ring before delivering an F5 on the announcer's table. It's clear the issues are not over between the two wrestlers. Brock challenged Cody Rhodes to a fight at WWE Night of Champions.
Despite being presented as a bona fide main event star nowadays, Cody has had to undergo his fair share of squashes throughout his career, whether it was in AEW or in his earlier WWE career. Here are five wrestlers who emphatically defeated Rhodes in the past.
#5. Cody Rhodes made his WWE debut against Randy Orton
Cody Rhodes made his WWE debut during a backstage segment on the July 2 episode of Monday Night Raw in 2007. He appeared in a segment along with his late father, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, and his future mentor and Legacy teammate, Randy Orton.
The Legend Killer was embroiled in a feud with The American Dream and regularly disrespected the veteran, even slapping him at one point. This led to Cody Rhodes having his debut match against Orton at the young age of 22.
The match was lopsided, to say the least, as Orton easily defeated the rookie in a squash match. 16 years later, both stars are once again in the company together, with Cody now maturing into one of the biggest babyfaces in the industry. Their careers will forever be intertwined, and it will be no surprise if the two multi-generational athletes share the ring once again.
#4. John Cena and Batista defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. to win World Tag Team Championships
Cody would eventually form a tag team with another second-generation star Ted Dibiase Jr. and even win the World Tag Team Championship in 2008. However, their reign would come to an abrupt end, thanks to the megastar team-up of John Cena and Batista.
Ultimately, it was just a ploy to help build up anticipation for their first-ever encounter in the ring at SummerSlam 2008. SuperCena and The Animal were kept on separate brands during the early part of their careers as they ascended to the top of the card.
By the time the 2008 WWE Draft rolled around, the two box-office draws had finally become part of the same show. In a bid to stir up the rivalry, the Tag Team Championships were used mainly as a storytelling device, and they would eventually drop the title just one week later. But it came at the expense of young Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase Jr.
#3. DX defeats Legacy at Summerslam 2009
Speaking of big-name tag teams squashing Cody Rhodes, D-Generation X was another popular tandem that had an encounter with Legacy during the summer of 2009.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels reunited in the face of a threat from DiBiase and Rhodes. The Game realized that he was outnumbered and that the blossoming young stars were far more of a challenge than he probably gave them credit for.
Together, the Attitude Era stars soundly defeated Legacy in a huge tag team match that was one of the marquee attractions from that night's card. Their rivalry was far from over, as just a month later, at Breaking Point, Rhodes and DiBiase would get their victory back.
The blowoff to their feud came in Hell in a Cell that year, as the two teams wrestled a rubber match inside the most dangerous structure in the sport.
#2. The late Brodie Lee dominated Cody Rhodes to win the TNT Championship
Fast forward a decade later, and Cody Rhodes is one of the biggest names in the industry. In fact, he was instrumental in helping build AEW as a legitimate wrestling alternative to WWE.
The American Nightmare would become the inaugural TNT Champion in 2020 and defend the title regularly during the pandemic. However, Cody lost the TNT Championship to Brodie Lee barely 3 months into his run during a special Saturday episode of AEW Dynamite.
Brodie Lee squashed Cody as the leader of The Dark Order and made an emphatic statement establishing his faction as the top-heel group in AEW at the time. The Exalted One had successful title defenses against Dustin Rhodes and Orange Cassidy but would eventually lose the gold to The American Nightmare once more in a Dog Collar match in October 2020, ending his reign at 46 days.
Unfortunately, Lee passed away on December 26, 2020, and the red TNT title which he held was eventually retired.
#1. Malakai Black squashes Cody Rhodes on his AEW debut
Malakai Black vs Cody Rhodes was a highly anticipated match as the two former WWE Superstars were trying to establish their legacies outside of the sports entertainment giant.
Much to everyone's disbelief, it turned into a massacre. Cody was completely outclassed by the former NXT Champion within five minutes. Black delivered the Black Mass and put his foot on Cody's chest to earn a pinfall win on his AEW debut.
It was a totally unexpected result, given Cody's position in the company. But as he was unable to challenge for the AEW Championship due to a stipulation, Cody's role in AEW turned into a gatekeeper of sorts. He was the guy that debuting wrestlers could get a huge victory from to gain momentum within the company.
