Enough With Stardust, Bring Back Cody

[The Brain]

Do you realize that Cody Rhodes has been on the WWE main roster for over eight years now? During those eight plus years he has played many different roles, had many different tag team partners, and used many different gimmicks. No matter what role he was given Cody has always done a good job. That includes his current role as Stardust. I think Cody has shown great commitment to the Stardust character and is making it work the best he can, but I don't think it's the best use of his talents.

Stardust was a fun gimmick at first. It made sense since Cody was teaming with and eventually feuding with his brother Goldust. Now sixteen months later, and six months since Goldust has been on television, I think the Stardust gimmick has run its course. I think this gimmick is now holding Cody back. There is a lot of good talent in the (upper)mid card right now and it would be mutually beneficial for Cody to be working with a number of different guys. I can picture Cody against Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, or Cesaro. Or turn him face and put him against Kevin Owens, Sheamus, or Bray Wyatt. I think Cody Rhodes can work with any of those guys but Stardust seems beneath them.

One of my favorite matches over the past few years was Cody & Goldust vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns at BattleGround 2013. It was a great match with a great story and it looked like it might boost Cody up the card a little. Now two years later Cody seems further down the card than at any point during his career. Maybe it doesn't help that I'm not a comic book guy but this feud with Neville isn't doing anything for me; at least not anymore.

Dustin Rhodes was a good wrestler before he ever became Goldust. He reinvented himself almost out of necessity to distance himself from his father. He took a questionable gimmick and knocked it out of the park. He has played Goldust on and off for 20 years because Goldsut was always more entertaining than Dustin. Cody Rhodes was a good wrestler before he ever became Stardust. He reinvented himself just for a convenient storyline. He's done well with the gimmick but he doesn't need it. He is more entertaining as Cody.

I hope Cody doesn't follow in his brother's footsteps and remain as Stardust for the rest of his career. I assume it's only a matter of time before we see Cody again. I just hope that time is soon. What do you think? Do you think there is still value to the Stardust character again or would you prefer to see Cody back?

 

[L@RISANO]

Like you, I do feel the Stardust character has gotten a bit stale in recent times, especially post-Summerslam, and this business with Neville is basically just a way for both guys to be on TV more than anything.


However, WWE is actively trying to establish newer Top Guys(whether any will become true stars is arguable at this point, lMO), and I feel that Stardust reverting back to Cody should be something big and memorable, and thus, at the moment, it is best to hold off on it until at least post-Mania 32 at the earliest, where there might be room at and near to the top of the card for such to occur.

 

[@smarkmouth]

I'm with you. I'd rather have Cody Rhodes on TV, but Stardust has a handful of upside to him.

First, there seems to be general apathy towards Cody Rhodes. I've never understood it myself. Hell, I even thought he got a good feud out of Big Show. Anyone remember the "revisd use of the term 'Big Show'" promo? Aside from that, as you mention, Brain, he shined in the Rhodes vs Authority storyline. The Creative department deserves much of the credit for that one. A well told story, and everyone played their roles to a tee. Aside from that, many accuse Cody of being too bland.

Beside that, check the altruism! This aspect has a shelf life, but the supervillain angle with Amell was a wonderful platform to raise money for charity. Something to the effect of 300k for children? WWE eats that up! You can't do it every month, but who knows? Maybe we'll get a WrestleMania rematch, in which the Astral Alliance has stolen said charity check, and they double that money.

Lastly, I've been a blowhard for larger characters for years now. Stardust exemplifies that! I do wish Creative knew how to work with it a little better, but I'm happy to have him on screen if they can keep the character moderately relevant.

 

[Soulblazed]

I get where you're coming from, Brain, but from what I've read after Dusty's death that Cody posted, I seriously doubt he's ever gonna wrestle under the name "Cody Rhodes" ever again..

To give you the gist, he basically said that after Dusty died, his commitment to the "Stardust" gimmick was strengthened ten-fold, partly because Dusty was known as "Stardust" early in his career and in his own way, he felt that he was doing his part and honoring Dusty's legacy simply by being "Stardust"..

With that being said, good luck on seeing "Stardust" ever show up on WWE tv again, cutting a "worked shoot" interview where he rips apart the "Stardust" gimmick and simply goes back to wrestling as "Cody Rhodes".

Also, I always thought that Cody was very funny when he was putting bags on fans' heads, along with this goofyass "Stardust" gimmick..It's a rare quality in a wrestler when he can make Wrestlecrap-quality gimmicks work that much to his advantage.

 

[Miseria Cantare]

I don't think dusty would want cody to be stardust for the rest of his career especially if its gonna hold him back

 

[MTL722]

Personally, id much rather have Cody. I remember years back I posted on here in response to a question about Cody Rhodes ever being World champion. I initially thought no, but then I envisioned him with the title on his shoulder and it just looked right

The same cannot be said for Stardust. I know that the character means alot to Cody but I just don't get it. He's like a Goldust/Bray Wyatt hybrid that somehow makes less sense. What is this Cosmic Key? And even worse, wtf is the Cosmic Wasteland. It's like creative thought to themselves, "Stardust is kinda drowning after that Stephen Amell thing. What can we do to help, you say? Attach him to two dead bodies and see what happens."

My way of booking a Cody return would be simple. Goldust comes back for one last run as IC champ. That's the last thing I remember Cody caring about. He brought that title back, after all. Goldust wins the belt at Rumble and doesn't enter the 30 man match. While Stardust is in the match, Goldust comes out and lures Stardust out of the match with the title. Goldust then disappears until the night after Fastlane, all the while Stardust is going crazier and crazier about the "Cosmic Key" (IC title). Goldust is told to pick his opponent for WM and he chooses Cody Rhodes. Week after week Stardust loses leading up to WM. At the event, Goldust comes out first followed by Codys music. Big pop. Cody wins, Goldust retires

Full disclosure, I dont think any of this has a chance of happening. Cody is married to this character, for better or for worse

 

[kadroan]

Do you realize that Cody Rhodes has been on the WWE main roster for over eight years now? During those eight plus years he has played many different roles, had many different tag team partners, and used many different gimmicks. No matter what role he was given Cody has always done a good job. That includes his current role as Stardust. I think Cody has shown great commitment to the Stardust character and is making it work the best he can, but I don't think it's the best use of his talents.

Stardust was a fun gimmick at first. It made sense since Cody was teaming with and eventually feuding with his brother Goldust. Now sixteen months later, and six months since Goldust has been on television, I think the Stardust gimmick has run its course. I think this gimmick is now holding Cody back. There is a lot of good talent in the (upper)mid card right now and it would be mutually beneficial for Cody to be working with a number of different guys. I can picture Cody against Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, or Cesaro. Or turn him face and put him against Kevin Owens, Sheamus, or Bray Wyatt. I think Cody Rhodes can work with any of those guys but Stardust seems beneath them.

One of my favorite matches over the past few years was Cody & Goldust vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns at BattleGround 2013. It was a great match with a great story and it looked like it might boost Cody up the card a little. Now two years later Cody seems further down the card than at any point during his career. Maybe it doesn't help that I'm not a comic book guy but this feud with Neville isn't doing anything for me; at least not anymore.

Dustin Rhodes was a good wrestler before he ever became Goldust. He reinvented himself almost out of necessity to distance himself from his father. He took a questionable gimmick and knocked it out of the park. He has played Goldust on and off for 20 years because Goldsut was always more entertaining than Dustin. Cody Rhodes was a good wrestler before he ever became Stardust. He reinvented himself just for a convenient storyline. He's done well with the gimmick but he doesn't need it. He is more entertaining as Cody.

I hope Cody doesn't follow in his brother's footsteps and remain as Stardust for the rest of his career. I assume it's only a matter of time before we see Cody again. I just hope that time is soon. What do you think? Do you think there is still value to the Stardust character again or would you prefer to see Cody back?

I'd prefer to see Cody back, may be the best chance he got if he ever wants to be world champion. However, I understand why he prefers being Stardust. As Stardust, he finally got a prominent mainstream match with Stephen Amell, a chance to expand his character by being a leader of The Ascension. If he was still Cody, he'd probably be in a pre-show or stuck in IC title division like The Miz.

 

[Navi]

I don't think it's because of his brother he's keeping the name, it's more of a tribute to his father. He publicly said back in July sometime, that after his father's death he would keep the name "Stardust".

Apparently his dad used to have that name on something he wore, can't remember what now, and the plane they used to travel in was named Stardust as well. So the name means a lot to him. That's why he's keeping it and dropping the Cody Rhodes name for now.

Who knows in a year or so he might change back, but his dad's death is probably still fresh in his mind and I doubt he'll change anytime soon.

 

[the_peoples_adam]

Well I agree with you..
But Cody Rhodes has proven that he can play any Gimmick or character with perfection..
He has done a tremendous job playing Stardust with finesse..
But now its time to stop this Stardust..
Cody is a talent not to be wasted on a gimmick like that..
We already have seen Goldust through these years but never became invested in him. Now Cody is better than Dustin we all know that..Then why make Cody do the same genre of character that his brother played and failed through all these eras..I dont see anymore money in that..Stardust is burned out..There is nothing more to do with Stardust..

In my opinion they should bring the Dashing Cody Rhodes back..He can be a great heel and to be honest when i saw Dashing Cody Rhodes back then i felt that Cody can be a great heel and even he can reach the levels of great RIC Flair or of his dad. He is great in the mic too.

So if they want to pass that legacy of Dusty rhodes and maintain the greatness of the Rhodes family then enough of this Stardust and make the return of Dashing Cody Rhodes..
Who knows Cody may even surpass his father's greatness in the years to come if they do that..

 

[stingray11214]

By doing what he is doing right now, he added a lot of years to his WWE career. He is NOT Main Event-type talent. He is perfect where he is. Furthermore, by doing what he is doing, he freely ADMITTED that he is better off doing what he is doing right now than making a charge at the WWE strap. What would you rather? His "Grooming tips?" He is a great tag wrestler. And, he is helping to try to get the Ascension over. Stardust is also a fun and wacky character. So, sit back and watch the stars align.

 

[OYDK]

I've always tried to see in Cody Rhodes what so many others seem to see in him, but I can't... and I doubt I ever will. Even when Legacy was together, I always saw Ted as the breakout star when everyone else was looking at Cody. Not to say that I ever hated the Cody Rhodes character, in fact I think he's always been a solid hand and I do agree that he should be doing more right now, but as for a World Champion or even main event talent? I could never buy into Cody Rhodes in that respect.

I like the Stardust character. Even though he's more irrelevant and placed lower on the card as Stardust than he was as Cody Rhodes, I still find the Stardust character more entertaining. That's one thing I will disagree with OP about. Stardust has had much more depth and character progression in his short stint than Cody Rhodes had in years. I also think if WWE were going to push Cody again, he'd be able to do more with his Stardust gimmick as there is still a lot of untapped potential in the character.

In basic terms, I'd rather have this whacked out version of Stardust than the regular old vanilla version of Cody Rhodes. The problem lies in WWE having no direction for the Stardust character right now.

 

[Alex]

What truly interesting thing did Cody do before becoming Stardust?? Turning on Hardcore Holly to team with Ted Dibiase Jr? Getting his ass kicked in Legacy. Playing scond fiddle to Damien Sandow/Goldust when they teamed together? I know people go on about Dashing and Disfigured Cody but were they really that good?

Like it or not Stardust has actually made Cody interesting. He's had more tv time as Stardust than at any other time bar when he's with someone else. Do you think Cody from three years ago would have been in a match with an actor from a popular tv show. Nope.

The thing is Stardust has made Cody relevant far more than anything else he's done because it's different for a wrestler of the last ten years to be doing. Young fans have never seen anything like this.

Maybe he can revert to 'Cody' but still act like Stardust. But to me to get rid of the Stardust gimmick completely he'd be back to where he was five years ago where no one really gave a damn.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Totally disagree. Cody Rhodes as Stardust is good enough a character to job on pre-shows and lower card PPV matches. He might be able to grow beyond that but given the nature of his current program, I don't see him getting any more than this. Cody Rhodes, as a solo performer, peaked in 2012. Maybe earlier. He'd be jobbing on Superstars or NXT if not for his last name. When you look at the current crop of guys fighting for airtime in the mid card right now, Cody Rhodes just is not as good the rest. He's as cookie cutter as they come.

 

[Bischoff's Knob Slobberer]

It matters not, wheter he's Stardust or Cody Rhodes. He's shit either ways. The best thing the crappy bookers can do is take him off tv for 6 months to a year. Hopefully then he'll retire and just go away. He's a shit/nobody/nothing character that only a few tools like. Get his ass off tv and put more deserving young talent in his spot.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I've always tried to see in Cody Rhodes what so many others seem to see in him, but I can't... and I doubt I ever will.

Same here. I presume the 'Rhodes' name has helped him immeasurably in that he was given gimmick after gimmick.....from 'dashing' to 'disfigured' .....and when one didn't set the world on fire, they'd simply move him to another. Someone without a famous dad would have been bounced out of the company long ago, in my opinion.

Not that I have anything against Cody. He's a good ring worker and certainly keeps himself in better shape than his father ever did. He always gives a good account of himself in a match....but that's expected, isn't it? Lots of folks work as well as he.

Problem is, as Cody, he's as dull as dishwater. His personality is so drab that without a gimmick, he's lost. The irony is that he's more interesting as Stardust than he ever was as Cody......meaning that his best portrayals come when he's not being himself.

Go, Stardust.

 

[enviousdominous]

I don't see a problem with the Stardust character, I honestly think that his place on the card is pretty much where Cody has always been as a pro-wrestler.

By virtue of his relations, Cody will always have a place on the card no matter what gimmick he's sporting. By virtue of his talents, we'll be hopeful during his entire run that he'll make it to the big time eventually.

Stardust may not be packing arenas, but he's endearing enough to make me wonder what's going to happen in his next match. His current feud with Neville is feeling played out at this point, so I'm really hoping that Stardust focuses on someone who's higher on the totem pole.

Stardust now has a stable with The Ascension; as someone who marks out like an eight year old whenever villains clash with villains, I'd set my watch to a match between The Cosmic Wasteland and The Wyatt Family. Cody on the other hand, I barely remember anything he did beyond the paper bag thing and losing multiple times at WrestleMania.

 

[That N Word]

If it's because of his father's name then why don't he just disappear for a while then return drop the gimmick turn face and use the name like his dad did, as a nickname. He could be "Stadust" Cody Rhodes. He can do alot as a face. He may never main event WrestleMania but he can surely be a top face on the roster. As a heel it just no longer works for him.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

I think they had there best chance to make Cody Rhodes into some level of star back at the beginning of the authority story where they "fired" Cody after he lost a singles match to Orton on Raw. That was one of the better matches of that year and I thought it was going to set up a blow off match between the two at a major event with Rhodes getting a clean win over Orton and elevating himself up the card. Of course that never happened, Cody came back and soon turned into Stardust and we are now in the present.

I'm sure there's still a chance for Cody to get another push as Cody, but I don't think we will see a better opportunity for him then the one I mentioned above that was never seen to the end.

 

[DetectiveZelix]

Best Cody character was the smoke and mirrors gimmick i think it was called Dashing Cody Rhodes. He used to give advice to losers. then when his face got smashed he wore that face mask and became darker character. Good days. Stardust sucks

 

[chuckmdubya]

Stardust has helped out Cody for a while now, but it seems there's just nothing left. There's not a lot you can do with the character once it has gotten old. The recent superhero thing didn't do anything to revive it and may have actually sped up the expiration date. Cody remains a highly talented wrestler, but lacks the star power that Goldust had. Dustin was able to keep the Goldust gimmick for years because it was so much more versatile, and so was he as a performer. And also, Goldust was born in another era, Goldust would suck today, period. The Goldust character used a lot of sexual and homosexual innuendo and taboo to get himself over, way over, and stuff like that isn't available today.

Probably is time to go another direction with Cody, but nothing he has ever done has gotten him to the main even scene. I worry this isn't an Issac Yankem vs Kane scenario , where all that was needed was a proper gimmick to get someone over. Cody has had a lot of gimmicks and never gotten there. Maybe some time off would be good too, make the fans miss him a little, or at least be happy to see him come back. As far as a gimmick, IDK, what do you do with a guy who is a top level in ring performer but not so great at the entertainment side? Obvious answer would be a faction, but he has been in a few small ones already.

 

[ADLegend21]

I disagree. Back in July he made a post quoting his dad about "Finish what you start". He's a creative guy as almost everyone here seems to know and I actually enjoy Stardust. He hasn't been helped by booking based on how bad his feud with Goldust was handled, but that's WWE's fault, not his. Stardust could feud with anyone on the roster right now and make something of it. He just had a high profile match at Wrestlemania light AKA SummerSlam that got talked about outside of WWE. He essentially transcended the company for a while as Stardust, that doesn't happen as "Cody Rhodes". Stardust is here to stay for the foreseeable future, best enjoy the ride through the cosmos.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

Cody Rhodes is a good wrestler, his gimmick right now seems to be keeping him on television. I can't help think if he was just Cody Rhodes in tights and no fancy gimmick that he wouldn't be getting any Raw time, only Superstars time .

 

[laodaron]

I think that without Stardust, Cody would have walked away from wrestling when Dusty passed away. Stardust is the thing keeping him in the business.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The Stardust gimmick needs to stay. It is BY FAR the most entertaining Cody Rhodes has ever been. He had a good start as a tag team specialist with Hardcore Holly until turning on him to form Team Priceless with Ted before both joined Orton in Legacy. Following the split of the Legacy stable Rhodes has seen a handful of different gimmicks, some more bizarre than others. I liked Dashing Cody Rhodes. It was a funny gimmick but it would NEVER have been believable further up than the midcard. Then he became Disfigured Cody which I hated. That gimmick overstayed its welcome and the paper bag thing was incredibly stupid. Then he went back to just being himself. At first this seemed good, but after all of about 2 weeks it got boring. Up until Stardust, Cody was as generic as one can possibly get, and was just kind of there.

Then he became Stardust and that all changed. Say all you want about it being too similar to Goldust, but at the end of the day it's an entertaining character. I loved the Neville feud. We need more superheroes and villains in wrestling. Stardust with his Cosmic Wasteland stable provides us with exactly that. I much prefer gimmicky characters because they stand out. Stardust is a really weird character. It's weird, but the good kind of weird. Stardust brings a degree of silly to the table that no one else on the roster currently does. Sure he may never win the World Heavyweight Championship now that we only have one World Championship, but would you rather have a fun character that stands out or have Cody go back to being boring? Stardust could be a mainstay in the Intercontinental Championship scene for years to come and there's nothing wrong with that. I hope he never stops using this gimmick.