DiBiase or Rhodes? Who Goes further?

[The Roid Rage]

I recently started a thread about Cody Rhodes needing to change his attire so that his appearance won't hamper his credibility. Within that topic I had asked some questions regarding him and Ted DiBiase Jr that were more suited for another thread. So under the advice of Lord Sidious, I have made a new thread in regards to what I had eluded to in the first one.

As I stated initially in another thread, most people seem to feel that DiBiase is the better of the two. Why? That's what I want you to eventually tell me. I said I thought it was mostly due to the fact that Ted is the naturally bigger looking guy and Cody looks rather small and generic due to his attire which takes credibility from him.

I think that Cody is the one with the most potential. I think he has more personality than Ted and a lot of the other younger guys if they would only utilize it instead of wasting his talent in Legacy with an overextended stay. Take a look an the few times it has been Cody's turn to talk. He does pretty good. He comes off as more authentic in what he is saying, like he could actually mean it.

Ted seems very rehearsed or something, maybe like he is trying to convince himself that he means what he is saying. I feel that that is also because Ted would be better suited as a face than a heel which points to the problem of WWE mishandling both of them. Cody on the other hand seems to have more of a natural heel look, so when he says "Randy, Ted and I are going to kick your ass if you lose your match tonight." You believe it and you get the feeling he really isn't screwing around with you.

When you compare their in ring ability I think the edge would go to Cody there as well. Ted is obviously the more physically dominant guy, but something tells me in the technical battle Cody would twist him up like a ball of yarn. Remember some of the matches Cody and Holly had, they were good, and Cody showed time and time again that he could really wrestle with whoever he was in the ring with. Now while it may not have been spectacular, but that is still a sign of real talent. At that point in his career his job wasn't to be spectacular anyways, he had a completely different role.

Everything I have seen with Ted has been, eeehhh. I just haven't seen what would distinguish him from any other guy with a good build other than the fact that his dad is "The Million Dollar Man". He tries too hard as a result of being in Legacy to mimic the style of Randy Orton. He does it well, but that is not him that is not his style, and I feel it betrays him because we don't get to see the real Ted DiBiase. I love his finisher, that is very innovative, but that is also the only distinguishing factor in his wrestling repertoire which is a major draw back for him in my eyes.

I think that the two of them need to break away from Legacy as fast as possible. They have done the angle long enough to get famous by association, now it is time to let the birds leave the nest. I don't see what good it will do either character to stay, what do they really have to gain by continuing on as Randy Orton's stooges? Sure, they will still be by the side of one of the top guys in the company, but isn't it about time that one of them or both of them become top guys in their own right?

For Ted, I would keep him right there on Raw, that seems like a good place for him at the moment. He should be made a face in any way they can figure out to do it. As I said earlier I think he is a natural for the face role, and it seems like people want to like him, but are told "No, he's a heel, boo him." and I don't agree with that. He could either feud with Orton which many people were clamoring for not too long ago, or maybe after Wrestlemania he could go after Sheamus or someone like that. Give him a good story, a good push, and a good opponent and I think you will strike gold with him. However, I still think Cody is the one who could be the bigger star still. Why? Let's get to that.

Cody Rhodes as I've said more than once has this kind of dark aura about him. Sometimes you watch and he gives these sinister glares and stuff, and he really looks like that is him. He has this natural dark side it seems and I think if the WWE tapped into it a bit he could be one of the next super-heels. This is why I think he could be bigger than Ted, because heels are the ones who make faces what they are. All that would be required is to let him act it out which is easy. Let him use the typical heel tactics, and be creative a bit too about how he would get after the face he was seeking to destroy. Put that together with my idea for changing his attire, and I think you would see a real threat born to the WWE. Put him on Smack Down, take on a big face, let him display his actual ability and watch him soar. He has all the makings of another Edge.

Do you agree?
If you think Ted or Cody is the better talent, why?
How do you think whoever you think is the better talent should be used and why?

Give me your thoughts folks. These guys aren't going to be in Legacy forever and after they are separated you know it's singles competition for both of them. One of them if not both of them will probably be a WWE or WHC. So what is the verdict people? I think Cody Rhodes is the better, and as I laid out I think with a minor tweak of his character and attire he could be the next Edge or something like that.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Floor is Yours.

 

[Harrison101]

Personally, I think Ted. Ted I think is a mega babyface timebomb waiting to go off. I think he has the bigger platform to expand after Legacy breaks up due to him being in The Marine 2 last year as well. He also posesses a certain flair on the mic I find somewhat entertaining, more so than Cody. I think in general (in my opinion), I find Ted more marketable as well, having previous tensions with Randy Orton.

Knowing the WWE, they could easily push either of this men given the right opportunity, but I feel as if they're more likely to push Ted than Cody.

And credit to you TGR, very well written post.

 

[Binga09]

Well, I must say, It's a tough call.

Personally, I'm a Rhodes fan. I have always been a fan of Cody over Ted but at the same time, Both men are respectively superstars of the future. I can only hope that the WWE creative team don't fail to book either one of these men, because in my mind, Both of these gentlemen are just a much younger version of Randy. Simple.

Arguably however, I've got to admit that there are so many things the WWE could do with these guys. I think the greatest move they could make though is to send Cody back into his face persona, Leaving Ted a heel. The two would ultimately go onto clash against one another.. somewhat like what happened with The Miz and John Morrison. Both John and Miz have had amazing runs on the solo circuit and I could see the very same thing happening for Cody and Ted.

 

[bsager20018]

Again, very interesting thread here. The original reason for legacy to begin with was to give Dibiase, Rhodes, Manu, and Sim Snuka the rub from Orton. Much like how Orton and Batista benefited from Evolution. Unfortuantly something happened a long the way to where we are now. Manu and Snuka are gone leaving Dibiase and Rhodes. Both have the Orton look, but that's what they are nothing more than Orton clones. Like Ryder and Hawkins were with Edge. Ryder at least now has been able to reinvent himself on ECW. He's watchable, the gimmick is amusing, and his matches are good. Soon he'll get bumped up to Smackdown or even Raw if WWE is smart. But anyway Rhodes and Dibiase have one thing to their credit. They come from wrestling families. It's in their blood. That's all they have right now. One thing legacy also is missing that evolution had was Ric Flair (or someone with that same stature). Flair was a huge part of Evolution's elevation of Orton and Batista. Triple H alone couldn't do it. That's what Legacy needed and WWE just didn't provide. So the only way for either to be successful is to reinvent themself. Personally I don't see star quality in either of them. This is due to them not getting used properly. They are nothing more than Randy's lacky's. And when the turn comes (and I've said this before) it will be like when Virgil turned on Million Dollar Man. It'll be over at first but it will die after a while.



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One year later...


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[Mitch Henessey]

It has to be DiBiase. During the constant flare ups between Rhodes, Orton,and DiBiase,Ted has always come out looking stronger. I'll never forget that match Ted had with Orton on Raw, where Randy wanted him to purposely lose to him. Ted did such a great job at showing how angry he was at Orton, and there where a couple of times he looked like he was about to go ape shit on him. In the end, Ted took the RKO, and the loss, but he still came out looking strong. There was also that episode of Raw, where Ted slapped his dad in the face. Again, another moment where Ted looked strong. Ted always seems like the stronger of two when it comes down to him and Rhodes. His mic skills aren't great or that good, but I think they are passable enough for the time being.

Cody on the other hand, will probably not go as far as Rhodes once Legacy ends. I don't have any problem with Cody, but he always come of as weak to me. When it comes to his mic skills, I think he sounds awkward. He just doesn't have a good flow to his speech. Also, I think he will be the one to remain Orton's lackey once Legacy ends. It's obvious WWE is planning to have DiBiase turn on Orton first, and WWE will probably have Rhodes stay by Orton's side. If Rhodes stays with Orton too long, he will run the risk of becoming weaker and weaker as time goes on.

 

[CJ The Pirate]

People need to consider something that isn't staring them in the face

• John Cena is 32
• Randy Orton is 29
• Ted Dibiase is 27
• Cody Rhodes is 24

So please add 5 years onto Ted and Cody's ages and we get them both to be at the same age as the current top two stars in the company.

So that gives us til 2015... Wrestlemania 31 and they will be in the same situation Randy and Cena are now.

Now lets see their historys.

Cody:

• 24
• Singles competetor for 7 weeks, then Tag Teamed with Holly. Moved from there to Priceless and then Legacy.
• Tag Champ twice (Hardcore Holly and Ted)
• One WWE Title shot but match never happened... instead, Dusty turned on John Cena and it became a 3 on 1 assault by Legacy.
• Final 3 of Royal Rumble 2009
• Most Significant Win: Over DX
• Member of Legacy
• Time with company: July 2007 - Present (2.5 years)

Ted:

• 29
• No singles run, instantly became a tag team with Cody in his first match. Very little singles match exp since.
• Tag Champ (Cody)
• Member of Legacy
• Final 4 of Royal Rumble 2009
• One WWE Title match but didn't fight Randy Orton.
• Most Significant Win: Over DX
• Time with company: May 2008 (1.5 years)

Now in retrospect, lets look at Orton and Cena 5 years ago when their ages and experience almost mirror Legacys.

Orton:

• 24 (As of Jan 2005)
• Member of Evolution
• Held Intercontinental Championship for Seven months. the longest reign in Seven years.
• Competed in two Elimination Chambers at Summerslam 2003 and at NYR 2005
• One WWE Title victory (becoming the youngest WWE Champion in history) In total, he had 5 wwe title matches.
• Most Significant Win: Choose between Shawn Michaels or Chris Benoit
• Time with company: April 25, 2002 - January 2005 (2.5 years)

Cena:

• 27 (as of 2005)
• Impressive debut against Kurt Angle kicking out of the Angle Slam and enduring the ankle lock submission hold.
• One WWE Title shot against Brock Lesnar.
• Three Time US Champion (Creating the Spinner belt on the third occassion)
• Final 6 of Royal Rumble 2004
• Runner up Royal Rumble 2005
• Most notable victory: The Undertaker
• Time with company: June 2002 - January 2005 (2.5 years)
  
  (Sidenote, if you look at Cena up to January 2004, Cena would have none of the US Title Reigns. That would put him at the same level of experience as Ted Dibiase, albeit, one year younger.)

If you look at the stats, Legacy aren't far behind where Orton and Cena were at the same point in their careers.

I have to disagree with the previous post by cwheathman:

I think both wrestlers are incredible wastes of time. They have been given plenty of time to develop and both of them are boring and uninteresting. As a matter of fact they both suck on the mic. Being sons of two of the greatest talkers/wrestlers in the world, I expect more. I think guys like these hold the real talent back in the shadows.

I find they haven't been given plenty of time. They both have been given a back seat role for the most of their careers. They are being utilised mostly as Randy Orton's back up and, secondly, as a tag team in a lonely Tag division. They have nothing to do most of the time and have only really had one feud of note and that is against DX. They rarely get that time to hold anyone back and if by that you mean others could have had their spot in Legacy, then they would have been treated the same way.

On the stats. Orton seems more successful, but that could be down to booking him as a singles wrestler straight away. Batista and Flair were the tag team. (Batista was to rise up a year later). In an old fashioned way, You could say Cena was just as successful as he did win three US titles but winning the secondary title is no longer a requirement to being WWE champion anymore, you can just go ahead and do it...for example, Sheamus. If reports are true then Legacy is to break up by Wrestlemania. It seems likely as it has been leaked on WWE.com itself in their predictions feature. Ted also has a year less experience than the other three within the WWE so by Jan 2010, He'll be on par with Cena. In 2005, Cena won the WWE title at Wrestlemania. Is it not possible that Ted might very well be one of those superstars standing in the ring telling us how he is going to win the Rumble... we might very well take it seriously too. Lets see where he goes in the next 12 months. As for Cody, I feel he'll stay with Orton. He works well with him and suits being a heel. He can then also become a singles competitor and vie for the US title. If that goes well then he could also be a contender in the rumble. It'd be the same as Cena's US Title year.

These guys are still young, especially Cody. Kofi Kingston is 29 this year and he's just getting a push, he's been there for two years and this is his first feud of note. No-one has a problem with Kofi. So why Legacy? Cody has plenty of time to get to the top and I feel he will. Randy Orton was the exception, not the rule. Very few are ready for the big time at 24. Even Orton wasn't. He just happened to stumble into the record books.

Like I said before, the next 12 months are when everything should start to happen. I'd look out for Ted to garner the most success first due to his age but Cody will be there next year.

 

[LegendKiller716]

I am a fan of both men, and i think Ted will get the initial face push, but i think WWE will inadvertently give Rhodes the bigger push.

IMO Ted will break out of legacy and feud with Orton turns face and go from there.

With Cody, i think he'll stay with Orton, and not be his lacky, but his protage. With Randy mentoring him cody can go to the top winning many IC/US titles. Then cody will go on to win MITB and cash in at Mania against the newly crowned champ, Randy Orton.

This will give Cody a major push and turn Randy face.

To answer the question I think they both will win world titles, but Cody will get the bigger rub from Orton, but the one who will benefit most from this is Orton, when it happens Orton will be a MEGA FACE

 

[JBK2008]

Both Rhodes and DiBiase are still pretty young guys, but there time will come. A change in attire would be nice. It could be a different color of tights and boots. That may end up doing it for them. They just look like younger Ortons minus the tattoos. Both are getting over on the mic and have great ring work. They need one more tag run though I think. I think they even need to split from Orton stay a team for a while longer and re establish themselves in the tag team division because they've been Orton's lackeys for way too long now.

 

[ZeroVX]

I definitely think Cody is the better talent, for all the reasons you mentioned in your post. He's better both in the ring and on the mic. I'm actually surprised that he was able to carry Mark Henry to a somewhat decent match recently. And what little promo time he's had has shown that he has a natural talent for it, making jokes and comments while still sounding heelish.

The problem is that WWE doesn't seem to see that, at least from my viewpoint. I have a feeling that Ted will still be the one to move up when Legacy splits, while Cody will be pushed aside. Which is a shame, because Cody is someone I could definitely see main event in a few years.

Maybe a jump to TNA would help...?

 

[Freddy4190]

I love Cody Rhodes. I prefer him to DiBiase any day of the week. I think he has alot more charisma then Ted. He's a better wrestler, and just could overall be a bigger star. It's just the fact that they picked Ted to shine and not Cody, there's really no choice about it. Vince picked Ted, not Cody. So therefore, Ted's going to be a bigger star. That's usually how it goes.

 

[krispix]

I have NEVER understood what the big deal is about Ted DiBiase. The man is more bland than a saltine cracker. So what if he has the bigger frame? Cody can bulk up, but I don't think Ted can grow a personality.

I love Cody Rhodes. I love that he's a snotty little thing. I love his arrogance, and I love that he makes you want to smack him upside the head. Rhodes makes you care about him. I couldn't care less about DiBiase.

In Legacy matches and promos, DiBiase only looks stronger because WWE wants him to look stronger. Overall, Cody Rhodes has so much more potential. And he's got so many years ahead of him.

After Legacy is over, I'd love to see a heel run, with some veteran trying to slap that arrogant smirk off of Cody's face.

 

[Cookie]

I love Cody Rhodes. I love that he's a snotty little thing. I love his arrogance, and I love that he makes you want to smack him upside the head. Rhodes makes you care about him. I couldn't care less about DiBiase.

I agree. After more development and fine tuning, he could be an excellent top heel. There's no rush as he's still young, but they could absolutely push him in that direction in the future and I think he'd be a great fit for that role.

As for who goes further... I don't even know. I could see them both going very far. I know it seems like WWE is going to start pushing Ted to the top sooner than Cody but that doesn't mean he'll be the greater long-term success. It also depends what they do with them and how its executed- when/if either of them is pushed into the main event, the angle which the WWE goes about it could make it or break it for them. It'll be interesting to see what direction they decide to go.

 

[legacymember]

I love both of them. They are multiple generation superstars, and they will have a bright future. Both are very charismatic and WWE sees a lot of potential in them. Altough they are decent in ring skill but it doesn't matter so much in a main-stream. I think that DiBiase will get a push first and will be a world champion, but Cody will suerly be at the same level with Ted.

 

[Tastycles]

They are both shit. Which ever one it is that breaks out of Legacy first will be the one that goes the furthest, because that will be the one that gets a decent feud with Orton. They will spend the rest of their careers in the midcard. Neither of them have the necessary ability in any area of wrestling to be a main event player, and particularly with DiBiase, I don't think there has been an improvement since his debut. They just aren't that good, and while things may change down the line, right now I'm not seeing anything big in either's future.