WWE: Congratulations to Cody Rhodes

Congratulations are in order for Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare successfully defended his title against Drew McIntyre at Wrestlepalooza, and now there is more good news for him.

WWE's self-proclaimed Quarterback has gone back-to-back. Pro Wrestling Illustrated has ranked Cody Rhodes at the top of its PWI 500 for a second year in a row.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), PWI revealed that Rhodes topped the list of best wrestlers ahead of AEW's Jon Moxley and former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. This also makes him just the fourth wrestler to be ranked number one on the list in consecutive years. Before him, this honor only belonged to Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and John Cena.

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PWI's 500 this year included the time period from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025. The list is based on win-loss record, influence, technical ability, influence on the sport, and success against the most varied and highest quality opponents.

Rhodes had an eventful run during this time period. He took on stars such as Solo Sikoa, Kevin Owens, and even beat Gunther for the Crown Jewel Championship. He headlined WrestleMania 41 and many other WWE events.

Despite losing his Undisputed WWE Championship to John Cena at WrestleMania 41, he continued to be booked strongly and regained the championship at SummerSlam last month.

Other WWE names in the top ten include Gunther (3rd), Jey Uso (6th), and Seth Rollins (8th).

Cody Rhodes set to face Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel

Cody Rhodes will face his old nemesis, Seth Rollins, at Crown Jewel next month in Australia. Both stars hold the company's biggest titles in the men's division, and they will have the chance to take home more than just bragging rights when they meet in the ring.

The match will determine the next WWE Crown Jewel Champion. Rollins and Rhodes have a storied WWE past. The Visionary was Rhodes' first opponent following his return to WWE at WrestleMania 38.

The two stars also wrestled each other at WrestleMania Backlash and Hell in a Cell in 2022, with Rhodes coming out on top in each match.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Sherjeel Malik