Career Timeline of Cody Rhodes: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Cody Rhodes, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Cody Rhodes is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, performing on SmackDown and holding the Undisputed WWE Champion title for the third time. He is also known for his role as a co-founder, executive vice president, and wrestler at All Elite Wrestling (AEW) from 2019 to 2022. Rhodes has significantly impacted the professional wrestling landscape, both in and out of the ring.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1993: All In Event Milestone

In 1993, the All In event marked the first event by a promoter outside of WWE or World Championship Wrestling (WCW) to sell 10,000 tickets in the United States since that year.

1997: Stone Cold Steve Austin Wins Royal Rumble

In 1997, Stone Cold Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble, marking the start of back-to-back wins. This information is in context with Cody Rhodes winning the Royal Rumble in 2024.

1998: Stone Cold Steve Austin Wins Royal Rumble Again

In 1998, Stone Cold Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble for the second consecutive year. This historical fact is mentioned in relation to Cody Rhodes winning consecutive Royal Rumble matches.

2003: Georgia State High-School Championship

In 2003, Cody Rhodes won the Georgia state high-school wrestling championship as an amateur wrestler.

2003: Georgia State Tournament Win

In 2003, during his junior year, Cody Rhodes won the Georgia state wrestling tournament at 189 lb (86 kg).

2004: Second Georgia State High-School Championship

In 2004, Cody Rhodes won his second Georgia state high-school wrestling championship as an amateur wrestler.

May 13, 2006: OVW Debut

On May 13, 2006, Cody Runnels, using his birth name, began wrestling in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).

August 2006: OVW Tag Team Championship

In August 2006, Cody Runnels formed a tag team with Shawn Spears and won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship twice.

2006: Signed with WWE

In 2006, Cody Rhodes signed with WWE and was assigned to its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).

July 2, 2007: Television Debut on Raw

On July 2, 2007, Cody Runnels made his television debut as a face on Raw, using the last name Rhodes, in a backstage segment with his father Dusty Rhodes and Randy Orton.

July 16, 2007: Main Roster In-Ring Debut

On July 16, 2007, Cody Rhodes made his main roster in-ring debut, losing to Randy Orton via pinfall on Raw.

2007: World Tag Team Championship

In 2007, Cody Rhodes won his first of seven world tag team championships.

May 2008: Feud with Ted DiBiase

In May 2008, Ted DiBiase began feuding with Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly, threatening to take their titles.

January 25, 2009: Royal Rumble Appearance

On January 25, 2009, Cody Rhodes entered the Royal Rumble match to help Randy Orton win, lasting until the final three.

July 2009: Becomes Face of Gillette "Be a Superstar" Campaign

In July 2009, Cody Rhodes became one of the faces of the Gillette "Be a Superstar" advertising campaign, along with Chris Jericho and John Cena, promoting Gillette Fusion products.

August 2009: Appears on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

In August 2009, Cody Rhodes appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

2009: Video Game Debut in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009

In 2009, Cody Rhodes made his video game debut in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009.

January 31, 2010: Tension within The Legacy at Royal Rumble

On January 31, 2010, at the Royal Rumble, tension within The Legacy became apparent when Cody Rhodes attempted to interfere in Randy Orton's match for the WWE Championship.

2010: Appears in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010

In 2010, Cody Rhodes appeared in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010.

2010: SmackDown Debut and NXT Mentoring

In 2010, Cody Rhodes was drafted to the SmackDown brand and made his debut on April 30, defeating John Morrison. He also mentored Husky Harris in the second season of NXT.

January 21, 2011: Broken Nose Incident

On January 21, 2011, Cody Rhodes legitimately broke his nose during a match against Rey Mysterio on SmackDown, leading to the 'Undashing' Cody Rhodes gimmick.

2011: Appears in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011

In 2011, Cody Rhodes appeared in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011.

January 6, 2012: Retained Intercontinental Championship

On January 6, 2012, Cody Rhodes successfully retained the Intercontinental Championship against Booker T on SmackDown.

January 27, 2013: Tag Team Match at Royal Rumble

On January 27, 2013, Cody Rhodes and Sandow competed as a tag team at the Royal Rumble, facing the champions Team Hell No.

January 26, 2014: Lost Tag Team Championship

On January 26, 2014, Cody Rhodes and Goldust lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to The New Age Outlaws at the Royal Rumble.

May 21, 2016: Rhodes requests WWE release

On May 21, 2016, Cody Rhodes revealed on Twitter that he had requested his release from WWE, citing frustrations with the creative department and his position in the company. He had been pleading with writers to end the Stardust gimmick for over six months and had pitched numerous storyline ideas that were ignored.

July 19, 2016: Rhodes announces ROH appearance

On July 19, 2016, Cody Rhodes announced that he would appear at Ring of Honor's (ROH) Final Battle pay-per-view on December 2.

2016: Wrestling on the Independent Circuit

From 2016, Cody Rhodes wrestled on the independent circuit and for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and Ring of Honor (ROH) under the mononym Cody.

2016: Departure from WWE

In 2016, Cody Rhodes departed from WWE.

July 2018: Character returns for Season 7 of Arrow

In July 2018, Cody Rhodes announced that his character would return for Season 7 of Arrow, appearing in five episodes.

Loading Video...

2018: Promotion of All In and NWA Championship

In 2018, Cody Rhodes and the Jacksons independently promoted All In, where he won the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship.

2019: AEW Executive Vice President

From 2019 to 2022, Cody Rhodes served as an executive vice president and also wrestled for AEW, becoming the inaugural and a three-time TNT Champion.

2019: Co-founded AEW

In 2019, Cody Rhodes co-founded All Elite Wrestling (AEW), serving as an executive vice president and wrestler until 2022.

2020: Assessment of "Undashing" Gimmick

In 2020, Cody Rhodes reflected on his career, noting that his time as 'Undashing Cody Rhodes' was his second most successful gimmick as a pro wrestler.

March 18, 2022: Rhodes Re-signs with WWE

On March 18, 2022, multiple sources reported that Cody Rhodes had re-signed with WWE, marking his return to the company.

April 2022: Signed to WWE

In April 2022, Cody Rhodes signed with WWE, performing on the SmackDown brand, and became the Undisputed WWE Champion.

2022: Return to WWE

In 2022, Cody Rhodes returned to WWE.

2022: End of AEW Tenure

In 2022, Cody Rhodes' tenure as an executive vice president and wrestler for AEW concluded.

January 16, 2023: Rhodes announces Royal Rumble return

On the January 16, 2023, episode of Raw, Cody Rhodes announced in a pre-taped video that he would return to competition in the men's Royal Rumble match at Royal Rumble on January 28.

2023: Voices Himself in Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix

In 2023, Cody Rhodes voiced a fictionalized version of himself in the first episode of the animated series Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.

Loading Video...

2023: Royal Rumble Win

In 2023, Cody Rhodes won the Royal Rumble match.

January 27, 2024: Wins Royal Rumble Match

On January 27, 2024, at the Royal Rumble, Cody Rhodes won the men's Royal Rumble match by lastly eliminating CM Punk. This marked the fourth time a wrestler had won consecutive Rumble matches and he pointed at Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns after the win.

July 17, 2024: Added to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III as Playable Operator

On July 17, 2024, Cody Rhodes was revealed to be one of the WWE wrestlers added to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III as a playable multiplayer operator.

2024: WWE Crown Jewel Championship

In 2024, Cody Rhodes won the inaugural WWE Crown Jewel Championship and also won the Royal Rumble match again.

February 1, 2025: Defeats Kevin Owens in a Ladder Match for the WWE Championship

On February 1, 2025, at Royal Rumble, Cody Rhodes defeated Kevin Owens in a Ladder match for the WWE Championship, putting both belts on the line, and ending their feud.

April 2025: Added to Clash of Clans as Barbarian King Skin

In April 2025, Cody Rhodes was added to Clash of Clans as a skin for the playable Barbarian King character in the game's ClashAMania event.

2025: Wins King of the Ring and Undisputed WWE Championship

In 2025, Cody Rhodes returned from an absence, won the King of the Ring tournament by defeating Randy Orton, and then defeated Cena at SummerSlam to win the Undisputed WWE Championship for a second time.

2025: King of the Ring tournament win

In 2025, Cody Rhodes won the King of the Ring tournament.

January 9, 2026: Loses WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre

On January 9, 2026, Cody Rhodes lost the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre on SmackDown in a Three Stages of Hell match, due to interference from Jacob Fatu, ending his second reign at 159 days.