Cody Rhodes Bio
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes, born June 30, 1985, in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE. Performing on the SmackDown brand, he is recognized as the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion in his second reign and as the current King of the Ring. Rhodes is also widely known for co-founding All Elite Wrestling, where he served as executive vice president and in-ring performer from 2019 until 2022. Across WWE, AEW, Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance, he has held nineteen championships, including multiple world titles.
A second-generation performer, Rhodes grew up around the wrestling business as the son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes. He built a successful amateur wrestling career before transitioning to professional wrestling in 2006 and has since become one of the most recognizable stars in the industry. Beyond the ring, he has appeared on television, in film, and in video games.
Early Life and Background
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 30, 1985. He is the son of Michelle Rubio and the late professional wrestler Virgil “Dusty” Rhodes, and he is of Cuban descent through his maternal grandfather. He has a sister named Teil, a paternal half-brother in fellow wrestler Dustin Rhodes, and a paternal half-sister named Kristin, who is a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Rhodes is the nephew of professional wrestlers Jerry Sags and Fred Ottman, and the godson of wrestler Magnum T. A., who was present at both his birth and baptism. As a teenager, he legally changed his surname to “Runnels Rhodes.”
Rhodes grew up in Georgia and attended Lassiter High School in Marietta, where he developed into a standout amateur wrestler. He placed sixth in the 171-pound division as a sophomore before winning the Georgia state tournament at 189 pounds in 2003 and repeating as state champion in his senior year. He had planned to wrestle collegiately at Penn State University but instead chose to pursue professional wrestling. During high school, he also worked as a referee in his father’s Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling promotion. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles and studied acting at the Howard Fine Acting School for a year.
Path to Professional Wrestling
Rhodes credits his father for beginning his training at the age of twelve, starting with basic fundamentals. His formal training continued under Al Snow, Danny Davis, Randy Orton, and Ricky Morton. Using his birth name, Cody Runnels, he debuted in WWE’s developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling, on May 13, 2006. There, he formed a tag team with Shawn Spears, winning the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship twice while also capturing the OVW Heavyweight Championship and the OVW Television Championship, making him a Triple Crown Champion in OVW.
On July 2, 2007, Runnels made his WWE television debut on Raw, adopting his family’s wrestling surname in a backstage segment featuring his father Dusty Rhodes and Randy Orton. He made his main roster in-ring debut later that month, losing to Orton, and quickly entered a high-profile rivalry that brought him into WWE’s spotlight. He later partnered with Hardcore Holly to capture the World Tag Team Championship on the Raw 15th Anniversary special, marking his first WWE title.
Cody Rhodes Career
Early Career (2006–2008)
Rhodes spent his first two years in WWE learning the main roster style while pairing with different partners. He and Hardcore Holly defeated Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch for the World Tag Team Championship, giving Rhodes his first taste of main-event gold. In May 2008, Ted DiBiase began feuding with the duo, and at Night of Champions on June 29, Rhodes turned on Holly to align with DiBiase and win the World Tag Team Championship, turning heel in the process.
The pairing of Rhodes and DiBiase was joined by Manu, son of Afa, forming a multi-generational stable. They dropped the World Tag Team Championship to John Cena and Batista on Raw before regaining it the next week. By late 2007, Rhodes had joined Randy Orton’s faction, The Legacy, which elevated him into main-event storylines against the McMahon family and D-Generation X.
WWE Mid-Card and Stardust Years (2009–2016)
As part of The Legacy, Rhodes competed in high-profile matches, including handicap and six-man tag bouts on Orton’s behalf. He continued working with DiBiase, feuding with D-Generation X and other top stars throughout 2009 and 2010. Rhodes went on to win the Intercontinental Championship twice and captured eight world tag team championships across his first WWE run with five different partners, establishing himself as one of the promotion’s most decorated tag team competitors.
In 2012, he adopted the Stardust persona, a melodramatic spin-off of his brother Dustin Rhodes’s Goldust gimmick, which led to a renewed rivalry with Goldust and a high-profile tag team run. After departing WWE in 2016, he continued to use the Stardust name in select appearances before eventually retiring the character. His WWE exit opened the door for one of the most distinctive runs of his career.
Independent Circuit and NJPW (2016–2019)
After leaving WWE, Rhodes worked the independent circuit under the mononym Cody and signed with Ring of Honor, where he defeated Christopher Daniels to become ROH World Champion, marking the first world title of his career. He was billed as the first member of the Rhodes family to capture a world title in thirty-one years. He and The Young Bucks also won the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship.
In New Japan Pro-Wrestling, billed as “The American Nightmare,” Rhodes joined the Bullet Club and won the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. He later helped orchestrate the All In event with The Young Bucks, defeating Nick Aldis for the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship at the show on September 1, 2018. All In became the first event promoted outside of WWE or WCW to sell 10,000 tickets in the United States since 1993, directly leading to the formation of AEW.
All Elite Wrestling Era (2019–2022)
All Elite Wrestling was unveiled on January 1, 2019, in Jacksonville, Florida, with Rhodes, Matt and Nick Jackson, and Kenny Omega serving as executive vice presidents and on-screen talent. At the inaugural Double or Nothing event, Rhodes defeated his brother Dustin Rhodes, and the match later won “Match of the Year” from Pro Wrestling Illustrated. He became the inaugural AEW TNT Champion in 2020 and went on to win the title three times.
Rhodes feuded with major stars including MJF, Brodie Lee, Sammy Guevara, and Malakai Black during his AEW tenure. He also began a memorable storyline with basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. After contract talks stalled, Rhodes and his wife Brandi departed AEW in February 2022.
WWE Return Era (2022–Present)
On April 2, 2022, at WrestleMania 38, Rhodes returned to WWE after six years, defeating Seth “Freakin” Rollins in a surprise match. He later said he returned to win the championship his father never held, and he battled Rollins in a heavily physical feud highlighted by a torn pectoral tendon suffered before Hell in a Cell. In January 2023, Rhodes won the Royal Rumble match and challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39, where he was defeated.
After feuds with Brock Lesnar and Dominik Mysterio, Rhodes won the 2024 Royal Rumble to earn another title shot. At WrestleMania XL Night 2, he defeated Roman Reigns in a Bloodline Rules match to capture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, finishing his years-long storyline. He defended the title against AJ Styles, Logan Paul, Solo Sikoa, and Kevin Owens before losing it to John Cena at WrestleMania 41. At SummerSlam 2025, he defeated Cena in a Street Fight to regain the Undisputed WWE Championship for a second time.
Style and Strengths
Rhodes is recognized for his crisp in-ring fundamentals, polished promos, and creative storyline instincts. He has built memorable rivalries with wrestlers across multiple eras and is known for his willingness to evolve his character. His signature moves include the Cross Rhodes and a continuous string of dramatic, narrative-driven feuds. He has also been praised for his willingness to put younger talent over in marquee spots.
Notable Events and Milestones
Rhodes’s victory at WrestleMania XL, where he finished his story against Roman Reigns, stands as a defining moment of his career. He is the thirty-fourth Triple Crown Champion in WWE history, having won the WWE Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and tag team gold. He has headlined WrestleMania four times and won back-to-back Royal Rumble matches in 2023 and 2024, becoming the first wrestler to do so since Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Cody Rhodes Career Wins
Rhodes has accumulated championships across WWE, AEW, Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance, including the Undisputed WWE Championship, ROH World Championship, IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship, and the AEW TNT Championship three times. He also captured multiple tag team championships with five different partners during his first WWE run.
WWE Highlights
Rhodes is a two-time Undisputed WWE Champion, two-time Royal Rumble winner, and the winner of the 2025 King of the Ring tournament. He has held the Intercontinental Championship twice and won multiple tag team titles. His most recent WWE title win came at SummerSlam 2025 against John Cena.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside WWE, Rhodes won the ROH World Championship, the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship with The Young Bucks, the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, and the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship. He was the inaugural AEW TNT Champion and the inaugural WWE Crown Jewel Championship holder after defeating Gunther in 2024.
Cody Rhodes Family
Family Background and Wrestling Lineage
Rhodes comes from one of the most storied families in professional wrestling. His father, Dusty Rhodes, was a multi-time world champion and one of the sport’s most beloved figures, while his half-brother Dustin Rhodes has had a long career in WWE and AEW. He is the nephew of wrestlers Jerry Sags and Fred Ottman, and the godson of the late Magnum T. A. In 2007, Cody and Dustin inducted Dusty into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Rhodes married ring announcer and former wrestler Brandi Reed in September 2013. The couple has two daughters together and also owns a Siberian Husky named Pharaoh that has appeared on WWE and AEW programming. Outside wrestling, Rhodes is an avid gamer with a love for The Legend of Zelda and Metal Gear series, and he is also a fan of comic books and Star Wars. He and Brandi previously starred in the reality television series Rhodes to the Top.
2025 Season Performance
Rhodes began 2025 still holding the Undisputed WWE Championship after his long reign that began at WrestleMania XL. At WrestleMania 41 in April, he lost the title to John Cena following interference from Travis Scott. He quickly rebounded, winning the 2025 King of the Ring tournament at Night of Champions to earn another title opportunity.
At SummerSlam in August, Rhodes defeated Cena in a Street Fight to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship for a second time. He has since defended the title against Drew McIntyre, including a successful retention at Wrestlepalooza in September and at Saturday Night’s Main Event in November. He is widely viewed as one of the central figures on SmackDown heading into the final months of the year.
