Cody Rhodes' Attire

[asas96]

This may seem like I'm pulling a Johnny Curtis and crying over spilled milk, but Cody's attire really bugs me.

I love Cody, his gimmick, his talent, his mic-work, he has everything to be the next big star. But a superstar and his attire make up a big part of their role. John Cena wouldn't be John Cena without the jean shorts. SCSA wouldn't be SCSA without the knee brace.

My point is, attire means a lot for a superstar, and I can't take Cody seriously with his attire. He looks so like...naked. If his calves were bigger then it wouldn't be so bad, but he's gonna be open to a lot of injuries if he keeps him self so revealed. He has no arm accessories and no leg accessories, I think he should at least go for an A-Ry attire.

So...

what are your thoughts?

Do you think I have somewhat of a point, or I'm over exaggerating such a small problem?

 

[Fallen Angel 21.3]

The only thing about Cody Rhodes's attire that I don't really like is his mask, I mean he doesn't look that disfigured like he claims to be. With that mask being clear you can see if he takes it off he still looks like the same old cody rhodes. For me they should have gave him a Mankind or Abyss type of mask that dark where you can only see his eyes clearly or maybe a mask like the Undertaker wore in like 97 or 96 when he got injured from the fireball from mankind. Just something like that they the attire wouldn't bother me.

 

[LFC till i die]

I feel the same way too. He just looks weird and naked. . . But its not a bad thing that he looks naked, it just means there's more for me to see. He's good eye candy

His Mask pisses me off tho. Its a see through mask so it doesn't make a difference if he's wearing it or not. I don't get it he says he doesn't want us to look at him because "he's disfigured" but the mask he's wearing is see through ! . . .

BTW Cody Rhodes isn't the only one with shite ring attire. Trent Baretta and Heath Slater need to sort theirs out too.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

It looked awkward initially but I've gotten used to it because he's been so long without I've been forced to. It's really not an issue anymore.

The only other bit I was concerned with is the following suspension of belief. Now I know this is wrestling but I do find it difficult to digest the whole idea of Cody Rhodes being disgusted at his appearance when it's quite obviously not changed. I'd have preferred if his mask concealed part of his face to suggest it was disfigured or that they did some work in the make-up department to actually make him look a little more damaged.

But none of that is going to happen. Also, him not wearing knee-braces did not stop him from having what, from my seat, was the second best match at Wrestlemania. Both criticisms are minor at best, if even valid. Besides, you can't argue his transparent mask and hooded top haven't become a trademark look for him now.

In short, your last line answers your question.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

My point is, attire means a lot for a superstar, and I can't take Cody seriously with his attire. He looks so like...naked. If his calves were bigger then it wouldn't be so bad, but he's gonna be open to a lot of injuries if he keeps him self so revealed. He has no arm accessories and no leg accessories, I think he should at least go for an A-Ry attire.

Attire isn't everything. If Randy Orton didn't have all of his tattoos he would look like your typical, generic rookie wrestler; speedo, kneepads, wristbands, and boots. That's it. So many wrestlers have that same Copy + Paste attire.
So what if he has no kneepads or elbow pads? Makes him stand out more in a world of padded wrestlers.

So my point is, Cody looks unique. He wears a clear mask to show you that these "disfigurements" are more cerebral, making him a much more darker, tormented character then "that guy with no kneepads".

 

[@smarkmouth]

I remember a similar thread when he was still "Dashing". I was indifferent then, and I continue to be so.

Personally, I think if he continues to lack elbow and knee pads, the announcers should mention it, ie; when he uses a knee drop or the Beautiful Disaster kick. Being hit with a knee hurts. His bare knees, bare elbows, and protected face should all be incorporated into Codys offense.

As for the disfigurement angle, it can only last so long. It's great, and has gotten Cody over. But I get flashbacks to when Kane unmasked and still claimed to be horribly disfigured. I think Codys "disfigurement" has two or three more feuds worth of longevity, and heres how I'd end it;

For his last feud in-mask, we'll say it's with his protege, DiBiase. Their split is teased for a few weeks with DiBiase hinting that he thinks Cody is reliant on the mask, and that his "disfigurement" is purely psychological.

Eventually, Rhodes turns on DiBiase, which leads to him turning up his gimmick up another notch; keeping his cowl on during matches, not showing up for public events, even wearing one of his own bags. All the while, DiBiase insists he's trying to help, but Cody hears none of it.

This will all inevitably lead to a match between the two. In fact, I'd say two or three match series in order to escalate to a no disqualification match on Smackdown. During the course of the match, Ted pulls Codys mask off, and throws it into the audience. Cody, infuriated and disoriented, goes outside for a weapon. Ted checks under the ring for one as well. Cody is about to strike with his as Ted searches, but Ted pulls his out at the last second. His weapon; a mirror! Rhodes drops his weapon. After a pregnant pause, Cody pulls the Dashing smile, before dropping to his knees in a breakdown. Ted comforts his friend with a hand on the shoulder. Match ends no contest.

It may be a bit soap opera-ish, but if they ever choose to end the angle, they will have to think outside to box. I'm not advocating they end it just yet. Cody still has contender-ship, maybe even a title reign in him with this gimmick, but it doesn't have full-career longevity.

 

[Singin' in the Reyn]

I liked him better in the grey suit, he is very skinny, but that could get a little expensive. Maybe go for dress pants and a turtleneck?

The mask isn't because he is disfigured, but because he's crazy. However, I do think it's time to lose it.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I think you are making a big deal over something that doesn't matter that much. His ring attire isn't that bad. The fact that he looks a little different can actually be a good thing because then he stands out more. They moved away from traditional attire so it's ok for someone like Rhodes to wear what he does. The best part is him having the Zelda Triforce on his boots. Is that still there? I have not noticed it lately.

 

[TheNewStyle]

I've always found his ring attire pretty laughable. He just makes me think of some guy who's house has been robbed at night time and he gets out of bed with only his underpants on, trying to get all the stolen items back. It's still a small thing to complain about, though, it still bugs me to an extent. It just seems like a homeless guy they have brought to compete cause they have nobody else whenever he's in the ring.

 

[Baller]

The only thing about Cody Rhodes's attire that I don't really like is his mask, I mean he doesn't look that disfigured like he claims to be. With that mask being clear you can see if he takes it off he still looks like the same old cody rhodes. For me they should have gave him a Mankind or Abyss type of mask that dark where you can only see his eyes clearly or maybe a mask like the Undertaker wore in like 97 or 96 when he got injured from the fireball from mankind. Just something like that they the attire wouldn't bother me.

You realize that is the point of the gimmick right. He is a psychopath, we all know he isn't disfigured, but he has this delusional thought that he is.

Anyway, his ring attire doesn't need to be changed, this fits his gimmick well

 

[Axel-Stryder1211]

i think Cody Does need some knee pads and go with the right elbow pad and maybe a different color trunks id go with red and a black line, the clear mask is fine,i wouldnt mind it being a different colors like black but eh,he still fine as it is lets not change something good,

 

[Daniel]

His attire is perfect for him. With little accesories and no kneepads, it's very old school. And that's just like Cody. His character and the way he delivers his promos is very old school. So in that way, it fits.

If there is one thing I don't get about wrestling fans, it's their blatant hypocrisy. People always moan (and with good reason) that wrestlers are far too generic nowadays, both in their character and look. As soon as someone looks different, people jump on him and say he should look more normal. It's really strange and really stupid.

 

[Hunted-RKO]

His Attire realy pisses me off considering his Gimmick!
I mean he aint being dashing anymore so why does he have no knee pads? Higher Boots? Elbow Pads? it AINT believeble that someone showing loads of his body Is Messed in The Head??? I know its a small thing to be complaing about and to be honest its laughable but if u wanna get him over change his attire.

 

[The Pro Wrestling Addict]

I think that his current trunks look bad (the black with the red/maroon line at the top of them). His black/maroon jacket he has been using in his entrance lately looks great! I feel his trunks should match the design of the jacket somewhat INSTEAD of just plain black with a maroon line at the top... with his name written on the back.

The main reason he looks so different now is because he doesn't have any knee-pads on. I also think he looks awkward without wearing them. He's got like a swimmers body or something - When you see his body... you wouldn't think he was a wrestler... But since he is one, you would think he would want to be wearing bulky looking knee-pads, etc. to make him look bigger. Without his knee-pads, he does look naked...

He also is in desperate need of new wrestling boots.

So to fix his attire situation - I would just suggest for them to change the trunk design, new boots, knee pads.

But it ultimately doesn't matter what they wear, but in my opinion he would look better... and just more professional.​

 

[Johnny Scumm]

Cody may call himself "Disfigured", due to the 619 from Rey's Knee Brace, which is why he ended up wearing the mask. However, both you and I can see that he is most definitely not. The mask though, is a great "prop", so to speak. When I watched Smackdown on Friday Night, where they advertise Matches before things like ad breaks, they show still images of Wrestlers. Cody came up in his image, wearing his mask and in my head I thought, "He looks like one creepy motherfucker", which he does! The mask looks good, it's quite creepy, I mean, would you want him next to you in the dark?

It would be silly to take it away from him right now, because it's working. It goes along with the 'deformed' Entrance tune he has now. The only thing I would say is for him to get some Knee Pads. Surely, if Rey "disfigured" him from his metal Knee Brace, why didn't Cody get himself some Knee Pads where one had a metal plate in it, to get his own back. I'd still wanna see that happen for some true revenge. But yeah, I don't think Rhodes' needs a new attire or anything, he just needs to gain some Pads, it looks weird without them.

 

[Peep]

Cody Rhodes and his hate for knee pads has looked awkward since the day he debuted. That said, I've gotten over it. Watching him use the Beautiful Disaster Kick gives his exposed knees a purpose. He could still use some elbow pads, in my opinion.

As for the mask: it's a bittersweet thing. It gives him a persona that easily distinguishes him from everyone else on the roster - an impressive feat considering he's a cookie-cutter wrestler without it. At the same time, I can't help but question if the disfigured Cody Rhodes we see now will ever be a world champion. Cody Rhodes may just be a future champion, but part of me doubts that'll he'll still be wearing the mask should that day ever come.

Of course that's just my two cents. I'm sure there are plenty that would argue Cody as is should be a future champion, if not Mr. Money In The Bank in two weeks.

 

[Jessie Lynn DivaGirl]

Oi gavalult! LOSE THE MASK. I'm not even kidding. Nothing pisses me off more than a person who wears an unnessecary mask tohide their face when there's nothing wron with it. I say, lose the mask and the attire will be fine. That is all I have to say

 

[Bread Hard]

His mask emphasizes the fact that he isn't right in the head! It's subtlety, people! He isn't disfigured, but thinks he is, because he is batshit crazy. How do some people still not get this?

Cody rocks the house on the stick and is good in the ring, but I think his attire missed an opportunity. Lots of guys in different contact sports had fake bandaging with concealed iron rods etc. in them and Cody could have "taped" his arm and hid something in it.

Attire is such an anal thing to bitch about, yes, but it communicates so much of the character and could influence crowd reaction. It doesn't make sense that a guy who wants to hide his face paradoxically exposes so much skin. Tape that mother up, since Rhodes isn't the buffest or most ripped fellow on the roster either.

 

[Uncle Phatso]

It's not his attire that bothers me. It's his lack of protection, his legs are small. But I know for a fact that he was a highschool wrestler. As most wrestlers do, he probably wore knee pads. I know I did, but I believe he needs to slap on some pads. It's more of a thing that irks me, because he's so young and any wrong movement can fuck up his knee for life. Even with them you can, but the chances are smaller with them.

 

[Blue Chipper]

I think it works perfectly for him. It makes him unique. Additionally, it's highly annoying. Initially that might seem like a negative thing, but all of the more heat towards him. Bottom line is his attire is different and in a good way. He shouldn't change what's working.

 

[brighamosity]

I'm surprised people are making such a big deal out of Cody's knee pads. I watch Smackdown every week, and I can honestly say that it never occurred to me that he doesn't wear knee pads. I never even noticed. That's how insignificant it is to me.

As far as the mask, I like it. As others have said, we all know he's not disfigured and the mask is just supposed to make him look crazy. I never really understood the paper bags though. Don't get me wrong; it's an interesting gimmick. But if he thinks he's so ugly and disfigured, why does he insist on everyone else wearing bags as if they're the disfigured ones? Maybe he's insecure and having people wear bags makes him feel better. But if so, this should be referenced in some way. Because as it stands, it just doesn't make sense to me. But I still like it.