Cody Rhodes Loses His Mask and "Grotesque" Image

[JamJam]

Well, the grotesque gimmick has run it's course. That being said, I can see that 2012 will be a great year for Cody Rhodes. He's at the top of my list to be a first-time world champion in 2012.

Anyway, excellent move by WWE here. With this change, it seems as though Rhodes has become even more sinister. And I like that. I always knew that he would be the rising star from Legacy and not Dibiase. However, Dibiase looks to be getting a small push. Rhodes vs. Dibiase, Wrestlemania 30 something, calling it right now.

 

[Kermit]

It's okay that he shed the gimmick, but he needs to pick up something that makes him stand out as a heel or else he will end up like Dolph Ziggler who, apart from Vickie Guerrero, has no real distinction in his character. I've love what Cody has been able to do so far with what they gave him, and I'm glad, as many people have said, that his "disfigured" persona did not become a crutch to him.

I've heard rumors about a potential Goldust and Cody Rhodes feud. Hopefully if this happens, it brings out a whole new dynamic between the two and offers a gigantic push for Rhodes that pays off at Wrestlemania 28.

 

[cm ben]

It's okay that he shed the gimmick, but he needs to pick up something that makes him stand out as a heel or else he will end up like Dolph Ziggler who, apart from Vickie Guerrero, has no real distinction in his character. I've love what Cody has been able to do so far with what they gave him, and I'm glad, as many people have said, that his "disfigured" persona did not become a crutch to him.

Yeah, I'm with you here about him needing something. Personally, I don't see why they dropped the gimmick. They already have Ziggler as an up-and-coming "normal dude" who wrestles really well; why not keep Cody as an up-and-coming "crazy dude with a mask" who wrestles really well? That's so much more interesting, and it opens up a lot of fun storyline possibilities.

As others have pointed out, it's not like he was only good because of his mask; sometimes he used it in storylines, sometimes not. That's perfect. I don't see how it has run its course. It's like Kane and Undertaker; they have goofy gimmicks, right? Have they run their course? Should Kane have shed his gimmick in 2001 and become a big Southerner with an attitude? Should Taker have turned into the biker in 1994 and never looked back? I don't think so; and I don't think Cody should have shed the grotesque thing. Just like Kane and Taker, he should keep the gimmick and just change up how much it affects him (like how Kane sometimes is a killing machine, and sometimes people just remember that he's a machine, while he's doing the trombone thing with Santino).

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

When I first saw him I was disappointed. His lack of knee pads and creepy mask set him apart from everyone else, and I was worried transitioning into "normalcy" would halt his wonderful work this year. But it may actually be good for him... After seeing his promo work I'm confident that he's just going to get better and better. This un-abandoned and released character he's working on is way more intense, and a whole lot less awkward. I think he still holds a lot of interest for people that are into him, but is now more approachable to the casual fan than before.

On one hand he's lost something that makes him unique, but his skill set is still far superior to most of the roster and it's his work that sets him apart more than knee pads. Long live the family of Rhodes!

 

[Mustang Sally]

I still say he's got to be the luckiest guy in WWE to have tons of stuff written for him. He's been in high-profile tag teams with DiBiase, then McIntyre. Then, he became Dashing.....then Grotesque......and now he's got something new once again, which hasn't been fully developed yet.

By my saying this, you might think I don't like Cody.....but that's not so. I like him just fine; I just think there's got to be some reason he gets so much done for him by Creative; stuff that seems to accommodate his rather bland personality and speaking ability (I'm told his voice is a monotone drone). Many of you think he's terrific; I think that's great, but it surely reflects the programs being written for him.

I'll bet guys like Trent Barretta and Primo Colon wonder why Cody gets all this great material to work with, while they sit and pray something will be done for them before they're forced to hit the "dusty" trail.