Is Cody Rhodes Hurting The IC Titles Credibility?

[LegendKiller716]

I'm thinking Cody has held the belt too long. He is frequently involved in story lines, where his title isn't even mentioned. I think Rhodes is bigger than the belt. I honestly don't remember the last time his belt was on the line. I think after Mania he should have a nice long feud with a young guy for the belt.

Maybe have a tournament to see who faces Rhodes for the belt to build a challenger's credibility. I would like to see the Rhodes/Dibiase feud revisited, only this time, give Teddy the rub.

Right now the IC title is more of a prop than a goal.

Agree? Disagree? Discuss.

 

[Soulblazed]

You have a good point..I think the last time the IC Title was defended was against Booker T..Regardless, Cody has barely defended the IC Title in months..I mean the best thing he really did for the IC Title was bringing back its old 1970s look..As far as potential challengers.. Someone like Dolph Ziggler, The Miz or Alberto Del Rio could easily feud with Cody after the feud with Big Show boils over

 

[whoopin' ass]

truth is, i am a little surprised he isn't challenging for the world title this year. he was on such a role, i thought we might see a title vs title match or him lose the IC title just before Mania but still get the match and win at Mania. I don't think he is hurting the title but the title isn't helping him. put it on someone who needs the elevation and let him get into the main event picture.

 

[Loveless]

No Cody is not damaging the title, he's simply doing what he's told. As usual it's the WWE's fault but bizarrely it's the talent that gets blamed.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

i've actullay been thinking this for awhile everybody says cody rhodes is having a great run as IC Champion but honestly im not seeing it hes fueded with big zeke,ted dibiase and booker t over the title and granted im glad he escaped those fueds with the title i think he needs to drop the belt soon id have him retain at wrestlemania and then at extreme rules put him in a fatal 4 way match and have a young up and coming face take the title away from him and move cody up the card smackdown needs top heels with henry jobbing to everybody and sheamus will need a challenger besides daniel bryan with wade barrett out thats where cody steps in.

 

[GI Cake]

How does Cody Rhodes not defending the title makes Rhodes the one to blame? Last time I checked, Rhodes was just a wrestler, not a booker. So how does Rhodes get the heat for his rare title defenses is beyond me. Other than that, Rhodes has been solid with the title. His gimmick is beyond the grotesque Cody and has been about his obsession with the title. He believes that he is better than everyone, including the world title holders because of what he has done with his title.

And let's get one thing straight, with the mid-card belts like the U.S and the Intercontinental title. They are props, they are no where near as significant as the world title and never will be. They are used to help elevate mid-card guys and get them over with the crowd as a serious contender to breaking into the Main-Event. Look at The Miz, he held the U.S title for ever, but after shortly losing it, he wins Money in the Bank and later World champion. While the mid-card titles can also be used to help rebuild some lost momentum and stay over with the fans, Sheamus was a World champion before he was the U.S champion. Reason behind getting the U.S title was to keep him over with the crowd while staying out of the Main-Event picture.

Cody Rhodes hasn't damaged the title, in fact it is quite the opposite. He is using it to build himself up to move onto the next level. The only thing you can hope for is that whoever takes the title off of Rhodes can do the exact same thing as Rhodes. That is the only way you can bring back credibility to the title.

 

[Pedigree1]

Cody is a wrestler not a booker!! Cody is just doing his job being told by the higher ups who to defend it against and when! Its not codys fault that he doesnt defend the title every 30 days (isnt a champion supposed to defend the title every 30 days anyway? Tag titles WHC WWE Champion IC Champion but thats another thread). Cody is a freaking amazing talent and really IMO he is above the IC title anyway!! After he beats the big show he will go on to defend it against the likes of ADR and why not ziggles!!

IN reality Cody has brought back credibility to the title and is using that as a stepping stone for an eventual run at either the WHC or WWE title depending on this years draft! When cody does in fact lose the title sometime whoever takes the title off of him better keep the ball rolling and help bring prestige back to the IC title like cody has!!

 

[GameOver]

How can he hurt the credibility by being the champ? he atleast looks like and performs like a champ.

The fact the US/IC/Tag titles aren't defended hurts the credibility not who is holding them.

What hurts Cody is the lack of any competition in that segment of the show, the only worthy people are all vying for the main event spot or are constantly made to look weak.

 

[HBsam31]

There are a few misinformed posters to this thread. First of all to address a poster above, there was a time when the IC belt was very significant. The title was featured in the main event of Summerslam 92, granted it was Bulldog's home country, but that would never happen these days. Beyond that I don't even need to go any farther because any fan that knows a bit of wrestling history knows the belt was very significant. Second, what was the IC belt doing before Cody held it? I bet nobody even remembers, and that should tell you something. It's not Cody's fault he hasn't defended the title. I do agree that he should be defending it more, but at least I consistently know who the champ actually is. The little he has done with it is still more than anyone else has done with it in a long time. I think he needs one or two big time feuds with the title on the line finally dropping the belt at the end of it, and move on to the main event scene.

 

[MWRedskins]

i cant agree here. Cody Rhodes isnt really hurting the IC title as he's not a booker. it's not his fault that WWE hasnt had a championship match with Rhodes defending it lately. i cant blame Cody at all, i think he's doing a good job. he's having good matches, having good mic work and brought back a classic IC title look. i think it's more of how it's booked and what i mean by that is, that he hasnt had big feuds.

 

[thebarber]

disagree, Rhodes portrayal as Intercontinental Champion has been excellent and brought interest back to a title that has been disgraced and forgotten about and certainly disrespected over the past number of years.
Cody having a lenghty reign is great, saves using the title as a hot potato. It means when whomever finally wins it from him will have automatic credibility as a champion by beating somebody who has been able to hold the belt longer than anybody has in 15 years or so. Im pretty sure The Rock's 8 month reign in 1998 has not been surpassed since then. I may be wrong. Point is, a title being held for a lenghty period makes thwe title crediblem, though more credible if they actually defend it.

 

[LegendKiller716]

Okay obviously people are taking the title the wrong way. Would it be better if I said his run with the title was hurting it's prestige?

I'm not stupid, I know Cody isn't a booker, but the writers are trying to let Cody mingle with the main event crowd. This is hurting the belt because Cody is focused on The WHC, and ignoring the belt he currently holds. A long title run doesn't equal a good run. He needs to either drop the belt or step out of the main event spot.

I don't think Cody is good enough to be world champion. I think he took a big step back when he took his mask off. I think Cody should stay in the mid card until he gets another character, but I don't see that happening. Therefor I think he needs to drop the strap.

 

[DugoutDan17]

Okay alot of points to get threw; I like Rhodes as IC Champion. For too long the IC title has been passed around after only a month or two reigns at best which never gave the talent or the title any credibility at all!! If we want to talk about titles that have either no meaning or don’t do the talent any favours then we look no further than the tag team titles.

I would have preferred to have seen Rhodes when he dropped the mask gimmick (I thought that was too soon aswell as his gimmick was way over) brag about how he is the best IC champion the WWE has ever seen and no one could hold a candle to him etc and have him beat past Intercontinental Champions every week on Smackdown or raw and then taking it to ppv’s aswell just when another former IC champ thinks he can or will get the better of Rhodes, Rhodes would somehow pull off the victory to which at Wrestlemania we could have seen him defend the title against goldust brother vs. brother and we could have even brought back Santino’s honk a meter lol.

There is no question Rhodes should have been booked better if they were planning on him holding the IC title for as long as he has but unfortunately that’s the wwe booking for you when they have a good thing going they somehow ruin it. Cody has focused on the WHC and why not? Again kind of comes down to booking and the roster look at smackdowns roster all the mid card talent are either heels or just plain not good enough and Rhodes has feuded with them. This isn’t Rhodes fault at all no wonder they have him feuding with the big show come mania to which I think Rhodes will lose at mania unfortunately and the belt will be put on the big show for a short period of time and then we are back to two month title reigns.

All in all Rhodes being IC champion right now (as DDP would say) is a good thing Rhodes although doesn’t defend the title on a regular basis and hasn’t had many memorable feuds as champion is just unfortunate tbh I hope we see Rhodes drop the title eventually to a worthy up and coming guy who can hold it for a number of months aswell to then give him credibility. That title would do someone like Tyson Kidd for example the world of good!! The belt is credible look at the names that have held it in the past on there way to becoming a world champion and that’s where hopefully Cody steps in aswell.

 

[danvandam]

I don't think the ic title is losing credibility at all. Be honest most people don't remember who the title got defended to, only title changes and the storyline behind the title. Cody brought back the old design (which people will remember), talks like a champion (which people will remember) and is using it to help promote himself.

Wrestling is an art form, plain and simple. There's many ways to display it to make it work. Hogan wasn't the best technical wrestler in the world, but he was the WRESTLER that put wrestling on the map. I honestly don't remember Macho Man defending the world title more than once (when he lost it) but I do remember his reign. Carried the belt with pride, part of an awesome storyline, always reminded he was top dog and it made the world belt a hot commodity.

There's many ways to help bring credibility to a championship. Cody and "bookers" I think are doing just fine. To put it this way,

- I just remember Kofi holding it a bunch of times. No storylines involving him stand out and don't remember anything he did that stood out as champion.
- I don't even remember who Wade Barrett beat for the title when he held it. (probably Kofi) I would have to look it up.
- Zeke, flash in the pan. Only made sense because of his feud with Wade.

All the above hurt the creditablity. Within a year I will have to be reminded Wade and Zeke were champs and just remember Kofi because he held it a bunch of times. Cody though, I will remember as being a champion.

 

[BigRedMachine88]

It depends on how you see the IC belt. If it's just a way of getting a guy over and pushing them on the the main event scene, then the WWE is doing a good job with cody. But if you want the IC title to have credibility in it's own right, then cody's run has definately hurt it. For me theirs too many belts. I wish there was one undisputed world title, and ditch the us title and make the IC title the only mid card title. That would make the belts more important.

 

[Cats Pajamas]

Good Sabbath faces & heels from the daylight-saved Northeast. Cody Rhodes has had an interesting reign thus far as our esteemed Intercontinental Champion. I understand where the original poster is writing from as Rhodes has so much potential that the IC Title seems, at times, to be holding him back from the illustrious World Heavyweight Championship.

While many fans seem to associate the Intercontinental Title as a "stepping stone" to the top prize, the Dashing One should be commended for continually showcasing his title with the utmost of confidence. Even though Cody may not be defending the title on the 30 day clock he's still seen adorning himself prominently with the title before he's withstood the onslaught of experienced veterans like Booker T, lasted an astonishing 40 minutes in the Rumble, and went to war in the always dangerous Elimination Chamber.

To further his own IC hysteria, Rhodes has commemorated his championship status with a unique design which is definitively a figurehead of his reign thus far. We've seen a great build to his next title defense at WrestleMania against an increasingly agitated giant in what will be a "bowling shoe ugly" slobberknocker, to put it lightly...

Has Rhodes devalued the title or has his exclusive defenses during The Road as well as his immense pride as champ only strengthened its appeal to other superstars? My choice is the latter but I'm only one fan and everyone's entitled to their own view of it. Until next time beware of overhead pigeons, pay forward a good deed and always defend yourself from "The Negative". Best regards, wrestling fans.

You found the secret message! "Crikey!" - the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin

 

[Wald]

I always thought that as soon as the Raw vs Smackdown battles fizzled out and Smackdown became the obvious number two show that the WWE should have reunited the two World belts and kept the IC Title as the main prize on Smackdown. If you want to add a little more lustre to it, simply make there be two Bragging Rights PPVs a year and whoever holds the IC Title gets an automatic shot at the World title on Raw.

That way Raw could have the a listers and Smackdown have the B Team looking to make the jump to the flagship show. A roster built around feuds for the IC Title with the likes of Cody, R Truth, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, Kofi, Zack Ryder, Alex Riley, Brodus Clay and others sounds to me like it would maintain Smackdown's current ratings, bring back a lot of prestige to the IC Title and help these guys refine their own personas before being pushed anywhere near the A Show

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I don't really care one way or the other about it to be honest but I still feel that the IC title isn't being hurt. Why? Let me ask you this. If Cody Rhodes had spent the second half of this year having matches with the likes of Ted Dibiase, Justin Gabriel and Drew McIntyre, do you think he would have been as over as he is now? Well, it is stupid to think that way.

I do agree that he is actually above the IC title. But again, how does that hurt the title? Can you imagine a wrestler like Justin Gabriel holding the title, having title matches week in and week out and getting bigger reactions than Cody Rhodes manages? No one would care about the title if no one cares about the wrestler holding the title. It would have been like the tag team title which is regularly featured in title matches but no one in the crowd gives a fuck about it.

While I would not say that Cody has elevated the IC title in any way, I would say that it does look good around the waist of someone whom the crowd care about rather than someone obscure.

 

[Derf]

I said it in another thread. Cody isn't helping or hurting the title right now. Yeah, he's rarely defended it, but if you look back over the past few years, the title was never really defended that much anyway, it's just that the few times it was, it changed hands, which made it more memorable. Someone else pointed out that no one remembers when you successfully defend the title, and it's a goood point. Excluding rematchs after a title holder dropped the belt, how many times has the title been succcessfully defended by any of the champions in the past 3-4 years? Cody isn't defending the title less, he's just winning what few matchs he does have.

Also, as I mentioned, while Cody isn't helping the title, the title is helping him. A friend of mine recently compared the IC title to Vickie Guerrero. Both are being used to put over a hotshot midcard talent, both talents are scratching the glass ceiling with diamonds, and all they need to break through is to drop that extra bit of weight that helped get them there in the first place. In my eyes, the IC title is doing more right now for Cody then it has done for anyone in quite some time, when's the last time the IC title pushed someone so far during a single reign?

 

[GI Cake]

Okay obviously people are taking the title the wrong way. Would it be better if I said his run with the title was hurting it's prestige?

How is Cody Rhodes hurting the prestige of a Mid-Card title? The last 5 people to hold the IC title did nothing for but bring it to the ring, week in, week out. Rhodes has done more with his reign as the IC Champion than Kofi Kingston, Wade Barrett, and Ezekiel Jackson. Only Dolph Ziggler can say he used the title to his advantage because he Main-Evented a Pay-Per-View with Edge before dropping the title.

I'm not stupid, I know Cody isn't a booker, but the writers are trying to let Cody mingle with the main event crowd. This is hurting the belt because Cody is focused on The WHC, and ignoring the belt he currently holds. A long title run doesn't equal a good run. He needs to either drop the belt or step out of the main event spot.'\

How does elevating his game to the Main-Event hurt the overall quality of the title, exactly? If anything, he is bringing more prestige to the title because if it wasn't for the IC title, he wouldn't be considered for contention for the World Heavyweight titles. Just because he doesn't beat up jobbers for the title week in, and week out doesn't mean it kills the prestige. However it gives Rhodes wider horizons for Pay-Per-View opponents instead of tearing through half of the Mid-Card roster in 2 months.

Lets think of it like this. If the Intercontinental Champion is qualified to go out and seek the world title, mainly because he is the world champ. Makes the title more valuable to the guys in the backstage that want a chance or an opportunity to climb up the ranks. But in order to do that, they need to step their game up and finally be able to prove they can be a better champion than Cody Rhodes. But can you name anyone on the roster that is worthy enough to beat Cody Rhodes for his title? Tyson Kidd, Trent Barretta, hell, or even Johnny Curtis?

I don't think Cody is good enough to be world champion. I think he took a big step back when he took his mask off. I think Cody should stay in the mid card until he gets another character, but I don't see that happening. Therefor I think he needs to drop the strap.

Taking his mask off was the only thing for Cody Rhodes to do with his gimmick. He played that on for far too long to the point where the grotesque thing was so outplayed and boring. Now his character is that of a generic heel obsessed with his title, obsessed with the thought of holding it makes him better than guys like Big Show, obsessed with the idea that he will hold both the IC title and the World Heavyweight title.


Cody Rhodes has came out from being a crony with Ted Dibaise, to now taking part in World Title matches, if it wasn't for his mask, he would still be a jobber. But if it wasn't for his title, he wouldn't be in matches like the Elimination Chamber. Rhodes and the title play off each other like peanut butter and jelly. The title gives Rhodes his elevated status, while Rhodes installs his legacy to the prestige of the title.

 

[akathelaw]

One of the problems is that there is no "Intercontinental Title Picture" for fans to glimpse at and get excited for upcoming IC title matches. The midcard titles are often made a low priority to their detriment. Santino vs. Swagger should have been a PPV match, and I'm sure fans would have enjoyed seeing the build up to it. Why didn't WWE use Santino's internet show to hype the match? Why hasn't Santino cut vicious comedy promos on Swagger? All those missed opportunities. Rhodes is in a similar position, too preoccupied with setting up a 'Mania match that is weeks away. The past few weeks should have showcased Rhodes' singles match ability against REAL threats to his title. Rhodes could be defending against R-Truth, Kofi, Brodus Clay, Ezekiel, or Justin Gabriel and those guys all would benefit from being in a title match and just barely getting a win, only to have Rhodes outsmart or cheat to win. The title would gain some prestige, Rhodes would look strong and Big Show's challenge at 'Mania could have been announced right before the show to add extra interest to the PPV. i agree with the other posters here that say it's the booking that is causing the title to seem unimportant. In WWE the most important thing is usually not wrestling.

 

[DeathClutch]

Yap fucking yap.

Cody's had a long run as IC champion, sure he hasn't defended it as often as some of us might have liked, that said he's he's tweaking his character constantly he's in the mix on SD and anyone who says he hasn't defended his belt in a long time, this time of the year it's hard to get a PPV title defence when you have Survivor Series (he was in a 5-5 elimination match) TLC 2011 (Oh he faced Booker T for the belt) Royal Rumble (In the rumble) and Elimination Chamber (and you got it he was in one of the chamber matches) so really on all the PPV's he could have defended the belt he did the rest he was in feature matches, so quit bitching.

 

[IT Factor]

I don't often compliment WWE on things they've managed to do right. That's mostly because in the last decade or so since the end of WCW, they've been complacent, lackluster, and lazy. It reflects in the product. However, WWE have managed to make Rhodes look great as IC Champ. He's had a decent run and is doing a good job making that belt relevent again. Now, if only WWE could make more contenders for that division, we'd be set. I'll quit while I'm ahead here, with the compliment with Rhodes & all.....

 

[H33LTurn]

Its the belt thats making Cody that big. I for one have absolutely no problem with the fact that the IC title has become a sort of body accessory for Rhodes. Theres no logical opponent for him to drop the title to and apparently the idea is to get him incredibly over at Mania. How much can you care about a midcard title? Look at the US title, thrown around to irrelevant superstars until finally becoming Santino's. Dolph Ziggler is evidence that holding a title for that long makes it more relevant than just passing it around to different superstars on the roster. So no, I dont think Rhodes is hurting the title's credibility, its just the atmosphere of the WWE changes sometimes and right now its not suit for any contention of the IC title. I'm sure it'll change once we get closer to Mania but we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[LegendKiller716]

How is Cody Rhodes hurting the prestige of a Mid-Card title? The last 5 people to hold the IC title did nothing for but bring it to the ring, week in, week out. Rhodes has done more with his reign as the IC Champion than Kofi Kingston, Wade Barrett, and Ezekiel Jackson. Only Dolph Ziggler can say he used the title to his advantage because he Main-Evented a Pay-Per-View with Edge before dropping the title.

Just because the previous champions had worse title reigns, that does not mean that Cody's reign is good.

How does elevating his game to the Main-Event hurt the overall quality of the title, exactly? If anything, he is bringing more prestige to the title because if it wasn't for the IC title, he wouldn't be considered for contention for the World Heavyweight titles. Just because he doesn't beat up jobbers for the title week in, and week out doesn't mean it kills the prestige. However it gives Rhodes wider horizons for Pay-Per-View opponents instead of tearing through half of the Mid-Card roster in 2 months.

Overlooking a title always hurts the prestige. Cody rarely even mentions that he holds a title. For example Dolph Ziggler, no matter how many world title matches he was in, always made reference to being champ. You can tell Dolph wanted to keep his title. Cody's belt is taking a back seat to his feud with Big Show right now.

Lets think of it like this. If the Intercontinental Champion is qualified to go out and seek the world title, mainly because he is the world champ. Makes the title more valuable to the guys in the backstage that want a chance or an opportunity to climb up the ranks. But in order to do that, they need to step their game up and finally be able to prove they can be a better champion than Cody Rhodes. But can you name anyone on the roster that is worthy enough to beat Cody Rhodes for his title? Tyson Kidd, Trent Barretta, hell, or even Johnny Curtis?

It would be the next logical step in Drew McIntyre's progression. You can also have Johnny Ace cheat to let Otunga take the strap, since Teddy Long put a Raw title on a Smackdown guy. Also as I stated earlier in the thread, it's time for Dibiase to move up the ladder.

Taking his mask off was the only thing for Cody Rhodes to do with his gimmick. He played that on for far too long to the point where the grotesque thing was so outplayed and boring. Now his character is that of a generic heel obsessed with his title, obsessed with the thought of holding it makes him better than guys like Big Show, obsessed with the idea that he will hold both the IC title and the World Heavyweight title.

You hit the nail on the head when you said generic, but I don't see him as obsessed, I see him as generic, plain, boring. After he lost his mask, I wanted him to progress, I was hoping for a new mask. A Mankind/Abyss type of mask to progress his character. Instead they took his mask off and he has no character.

Cody Rhodes has came out from being a crony with Ted Dibaise, to now taking part in World Title matches, if it wasn't for his mask, he would still be a jobber. But if it wasn't for his title, he wouldn't be in matches like the Elimination Chamber. Rhodes and the title play off each other like peanut butter and jelly. The title gives Rhodes his elevated status, while Rhodes installs his legacy to the prestige of the title.

Rhodes would still be in world title matches if he didn't hold the I.C. strap. I think Rhodes is good, I just think he needs to focus on his belt, and not somebody else's for the time being. I want to see him in feuds for the belt. I want some one to say "you have what I want, and I'm coming for it". Instead we keep getting personal feuds with guys like Booker T and Big Show where the title is an after thought. It's those feuds that are progressing Rhodes to the main event, not the belt. The title being overlooked is whats hurting it.