Smark Out Moment

On this eighteenth edition of SUPERSTAR SCORES, we take a look at one of WWE's most recent releases: the son of a son of a plumber, Cody Rhodes.

If you're unfamiliar with how the segment works, here is a quick breakdown: Each edition, a wrestler will be put under the spotlight and rated on a 0-100 scale based on 10 categories that have been broken up into 5 umbrella sections: In the Ring Skills, On the Mic Skills, Appearance, Behavior, and Crowd Reaction. The rating scale is as basic as you can get: 0-1-2-3-4 | 5 | 6-7-8-9-10. It follows the Three-Count Critique method of green being the good, yellow being in the middle, and red being the bad. A perfect 100 is the goal.


Update: On March 20, 2020, we did a recalibration of points for a 25th episode special. In that episode, nearly every wrestler saw some adjustments. Below, you'll see the original scores on the left and then the updated score on the right, with the original description for the original score underneath. For explanation on the updated points, check out the 25th edition podcast.

IN THE RING SKILLS

Athleticism: Does the person have a good signature moveset and finisher? Can they perform a wide variety of moves on a regular basis and not botch them?

My Rating = 7
I loved the Cross Rhodes and the Beautiful Disaster Kick. Every so often, Cody would pull out a new move that he'd added to his repertoire and it would become a signature maneuver that I'd get used to seeing him utilize, and none of them ever bugged me. He was very well-rounded in the ring.

Psychology: The wrestler's ability to tell a story in the ring. Do they make you believe it's real or do they forget to sell their injuries properly? Can they make a long match stay interesting and not get boring?

My Rating = 7 / 8
I've got nothing to really ding him for, but I also kind of can't remember a multitude of matches that had such amazing storytelling that revolved around Cody's character. His feud with Rey Mysterio is one of the few that stands out. Positive marks, but not something I can go crazy on. I'm a big fan of the guy and I liked his work.

ON THE MIC SKILLS

Charisma: If they get a mic, can they cut a promo without stuttering? Are they repetitive or do they keep things fresh?

My Rating = 6 / 8
Cody struggled for a while when it came to the mic, but he improved. I can't say he was one of the best on the roster, but I'd trust him to cut a promo more than a lot of others.

Character: Is their gimmick(s) interesting? Can they pull off being both a heel and a face?

My Rating = 8
He was okay as a clean-cut babyface for a bit, the Dashing gimmick was interesting and was taken into a great direction with the face mask, and then Stardust was okay for a bit before it got on my nerves. I hated the mustache, though. My personal preference was the Cody Rhodes who was a heel with the Intercontinental Championship around his Big Show feud, but I wanted him to reach a point where he was a top babyface and that never came to fruition.

APPEARANCE

Physique: Are they in the proper shape for their gimmick or are they out of shape? (note: someone like Mabel isn't supposed to look like John Morrison, but Matt Hardy gaining weight deducts his points).

My Rating = 6 / 7
If Cody were a little taller and a little more muscular, he would have been given a world title, guaranteed. The guy is really fit and has a great body, but in comparison to a lot of others on the roster, he doesn't stand up as far as looking threatening. For instance, I'd much rather have Cody's body than Brock Lesnar's as far as looks go, but which one do you think looks like a more credible fighter?

Entrance: Their music, the pyro if they have any, whatever taunts or actions they do to make it interesting.

My Rating = 7 / 8
I liked the paper bags given out to the crowd when he was doing the masked gimmick, the mirror was interesting for the Dashing gimmick, and the Stardust one was intricate enough to justify giving him a positive score like this.

BEHAVIOR

Backstage Professionalism: Are they a locker room leader or do they cause problems behind the scenes? Are they bogged down in politics? Do they put other people over or screw people over?

My Rating = 9
If this dude put up with as much shit as it seems like he did, and he just now cracked, I give him a lot of credit. I don't remember ever hearing about any situations where he was argumentative or problematic, either, and it seemed like he was willing to go all over the places when it comes to his positioning on the card, putting people over, and so forth.

Public Relations: Does this wrestler project a bad image onto the company with arrests and such, or are they someone that promotes the company well, does charities, talk shows, etc?

My Rating = 9
Cody Rhodes has nothing working against him here and even did reading seminars as Stardust. High marks, but obviously not as high as someone like John Cena. Cody would go to comic book conventions, tap into a different side of the culture, and do his part very well in promoting the company.

CROWD REACTION

Popularity: How loud are the cheers and boos for them? Do they sell merchandise? Are ratings up or down when they're on screen? How many Twitter and Facebook followers do they have?

My Rating = 5 / 8
Ugh, man....I really want to give him a higher score, but Cody was never the biggest attraction and I can't just let my personal preferences influence it. I certainly wouldn't give him lower than this, but I can't see giving him much higher, either.

Credibility: Is this person someone you would see as a main eventer and a future legend or are they doomed to forever be a jobber?

My Rating = 6 / 8
While I always wanted him to be a main eventer, he never reached that status. For a good portion of his career, Cody was a viable midcard champion and even upper midcarder that could have won the Intercontinental or United States Championship at any point, but he also had spots where he was nothing more than a jobber, sadly.

TOTAL SCORE: 70/100 - 80/100

FINAL THOUGHTS: Here's a situation where I think his rating is lower than it should be and it's almost entirely to blame on WWE's method of using him. Cody had more potential than the company often gave him credit for and he spent too much time as a lower-card guy, which hurts him in the Crowd Reaction categories. He should score higher there, and he should have been given more opportunities to show off the positives in the other fields, too. If I had things my way, I would be in a position where I could rank him in the mid-70s instead, but it is what it is.

Update: Naturally, with the past few years and the 2020 adjustments, big things changed with Cody going on the indies and helping create AEW. That explains the big change.