Zigger OR Rhodes?

[Larry]

I personally am a bigger fan of Cody Rhodes. I saw this coming from him YEARS ago and I said as much at the time and few believed me. I said back when he was in Legacy that after this one event I can't remember now, he had all the makings of a major major heel if they let him roll with it. I remember it was during or after one of the beat downs that he and Ted gave to Orton, Cody gave this look back in the ring to Orton, and it was in that look and in that moment I noticed something and it said to me "Okay, that was pretty menacing. He looked like a legitimate bad ass right there. This is a guy who could have a reeeaaal dark side come out if you let him". Lo' and behold here we are a few years later and everyone is finally on the same page with me.

My idea was that he needed to go solo as a heel, and that what he really needed at the time was a big attire change to help encompass a change in persona to a darker more serious character. At the time Cody got a lot of heat for looking to scrawny and so on. So I figured, he's got a built torso and upper body, but those legs look spindly and weak. So what to you do to hide that? Give him tights and boots with kickpads much like Edge. This would make his lower half look as thick as his upper half, and I think Edge is a good example of that as he was really tall and thin too. Add some elbowpads to break up his arms and make them look thicker, which would also make his torso look a bit thicker as a whole. Once his look is revamped and you see the new attitude I figured, then people would take him seriously, because I thought even back then his wrestling skills were totally on the level.

As it stands I prefer his mic skills over Zigglers' simply because I feel like with Ziggler, he's trying to convince himself as much as he is trying to convince you. It doesn't come across as genuine at all to me. Rhodes on the other hand comes across like he's got some serious problems, lol. I also like Rhodes in the ring better. Dolph has a little more panache about him, but I simply like Rhodes' more old school style that pays tribute to his father and many other old school guys. I think Rhodes' character has a bit more depth to him, a bit more of a dynamic than Ziggler who plays the typical cocky heel. Both guys are great, but when it comes to personal preference I'll take Cody Rhodes all day.

 

[SD619]

Both of these guys along with superstars like Sheamus, Barrett etc. are the future of the WWE.Both of these guys are undoubtedly talented and have broughtback prestige to their respective mid-card belts.

Currently, I think that Cody is closer to being a main-eventer that Ziggler. As of now, Cody is more over with the crowd and can cut a much better promo than Ziggler. Cody did look like a legit main-event guy during his feud with Orton, something that Ziggler has yet not been able to do.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Both guys are great and are currently being booked to be exactly what a midcard champion needs to be. The best of the midcard and ready to move up the card, using the title as a stepping stone to break into the main event. Ziggler and Rhodes have both shown significant improvement since getting involved with their respective titles. Moreso in Ziggler's case due to having held the Intercontinental Championship for a while before going to Raw last year too. I gotta give it to Ziggler in the poll because he is currently better in every category other than promos, where Rhodes far superior right now. Rhodes is not far behind Dolph in the other areas though. They will both be main eventing soon and I have enjoyed seeing them improve so much.

 

[j2dlyc]

You say Survivor Series proves Cody is over with the fans...Madison Square Garden famously draws a large IWC crowd. They went nuts for Ziggler and Cody because they understand wrestling more than a general crowd does, its also why the pops were gigantic and people like Morrison got utterly trashed. IMO both have great futures, ive liked Ziggler since he re-branded himself as the 'new and improved' ziggler with the short brown hair for a week. He's my favourite superstar, brilliant in the ring, and to anyone who follows him on twitter or watches Z:TLIS, he can put down some utterly brilliant smack talk. Thats likely pre-planned and recorded several times but you cant expect someone to have the rocks level of mic skills over night. Both will go far!

 

[Gilly?]

I think this one is a toughy.

Ziggler has been on a role lately, and his selling is absolutely outstanding. That RKO he sold a few months back looked brutal. His ring work has really improved lately and he's found a gimmick that is really working for him. In the very near future I want to see him drop the US title and get thrust into the main event picture. With an imminent Punk and Miz feud in the pipeline, imagine what a feud with Cena would do for Ziggler. Just rubbing shoulders with Super Cena on a semi-regular basis would do wonders for him. Ziggler's mic work has vastly improved too.

Now for Cody, along with Ryder he is my favourite superstar at the moment. I absolutely love his finisher in Cross Rhodes and his mic work is excellent. I could listen to him for absolutely ages, his gimmick is spot on and he's slowly getting more and more unstable. His ring work is excellent too and he's going strength to strength especially since he's been mixing it with Orton a bit. He's given the Intercontinental title some serious credibility, he's got a serious future in the 'E. Definite future world champion.

I'm going for Cody on this one.

 

[Miz_Mark]

For me, it's Cody Rhodes.

I love both, 2 of my favorites today, and I full expect both to be in the main event within a year. I also love that Ziggler has gotten the chance to shine with double booking on back to back PPVs.

But in terms of mic work and charisma, as well as response and interaction with the crowd, I think Cody is a step or 2 ahead of Dolph. Some of the reactions Cody has gotten recently have been insane.

Cody has also shown more versatility, as he shined as Dashing, Disfigured, and now the new hybrid character.

For those reasons, I pick Cody, but both mean have massive up sides and I expect great things from them both well into the future.

 

[silrock316]

I may sound like a asshole saying this but i feel somebody has to.

ziggler and rhodes for the world titles?

I bet those of you who believe it are the same people who said jack swagger was a main eventer caliber player couple years ago and morrison will become champion by end of 2011.

Sorry you were all wrong!
-ziggler and rhodes are drawing no reaction at all.
-both of them still dont have that one long-term defining feud and match that makes you wonder if he can go for the world title. (rhoses short term feud with orton was great though). Yes ziggler have had great matches but the problem is they're random matches, just like last night)
-rhodes mic skill is ok but ziggler still is decent.

Remember rapper cena and evolution orton? both of them draw face/heel reaction, have multiple memorable matches, have that one defining feud and draw ppl attention with their mic skill.

orton vs foley
orton vs edge
cena vs booker t
cena vs taker

While I agree that Ziggler doesn't get much reaction BY HIMSELF, he definitely gets reaction with Vicky but I don't feel Ziggler is close to main event material.

Now Cody on the other hand does get heel heat. He arguably has been one of the top 5 heels in the company for the past year or so. Everyone of his fueds this past year have felt real to me. His acting has gotten a helluva lot better in this time frame and his mic skills with that little lisp he has are closing in as top 10 in the company.

To me Rhodes has a feel of an old school heel, he plays it perfectly. In a day an age where its cool to cheer the bad guys and boo the good guys, he does get some legit heel heat. When I watch him as a "smart" fan I still find myself thinking damn I hate this guy even though I really don't.

When a guy actually gets me to root against him as a heel at this stage of my fandom, he is doing something really good.

For instance, as good as a heel people think The Miz is, I found myself excited to see him and I laugh at him because he is funny, whereas when I see Rhodes I find myself rooting for whichever face he is wrestling.

To me that is close to main event caliber.

So to answer the OP in a short matter: Cody Rhodes is better than Ziggler.

 

[RicoLen]

I would consider Ziggler & Rhodes in a dead heat, except for one thing... based off gimmick alone I like Ziggler a lot better. Rhodes is probably better on the mic, but I really can't stand his gimmick. I like Ziggler, and I like him in the ring better than Rhodes.

Basically though it's just a matter of preference. There is nothing to say that one is clearly better than the other.

 

[ryan86]

Cody is the better of the two. Fans want to care about him. He's got that certain appeal that people want to kinda "protect" him, and root for him to suceed. The reaction he got as MSG during the part of the match where Mason Ryan entered the match and bulked up against Cody, the crowd in a "protective" manner, booed the hell out of Mason Ryan. Then when Cody eliminated Mason, it got massive roars and set off "Cody" chants. The atmosphere was set when his entrance to the ring got the largest pop of any of the 10 man perticapants. Even after the match, the Cody chants were drowning out the next seg-way.

After The Rock and Punk, Cody was clearly a massive favorate at MSG. And MSG sets precident.

Ziggler's match was lost by the Ryder chants. The only interest showed by the crowd in the match it's self was Vickie being forced to leave. (and their disdain for JOMO). Now that was out of Ziggler's controll and he actually turned what was heading for disaster, into a very respectable match. Ziggler is gold.

 

[JerichoHolic00]

I'd say Ziggler, but only just. He's show off gimmick is great and he plays it so well. I especially love the kip up and the "HOW DAMM GOOD AM I!?" I think he should win the Rumble and go on to face Punk for the WWE title at Wrestlemania. Now that could easily steal the show from Rock/Cena and anything Undertaker is offering up.

 

[Colamania]

For me, it's good old Ziggles. Both competitors are great stars and true examples of how you really can rise through the ranks of WWE - can anyone look at them in the ring now and believe that Cody Rhodes was once best known for being Hardcore Holly's tag partner? Or that Dolphin was in fact a member of - yes, he really was - The Spirit Squad?! However, while Cody's microphone work is better than Dolph's, his is still definitely improving, gets better almost every week, and in the ring, Ziggler can have a good match with literally anybody. A couple of weeks ago, he faced Santino one week then Mason Ryan the next, and put on great shows both times - proof that he could get a broomstick over if you ever needed it. I think both men will be world champions one day, but in Dolph's case, he's already been there once, and it's only a matter of time before he does it again.

 

[Dmbfantomas]

Cody Rhodes is a better ring and mic psychologist. Dolph Ziggler has a better moveset, and has a higher ceiling for ONE match, as opposed to carrying an entire feud. If I had to start a show around one of the two, I'd go Cody; but for this poll here there is no wrong answer. Cody being younger helps a lot, too.

 

[Dmbfantomas]

For me, it's good old Ziggles. Both competitors are great stars and true examples of how you really can rise through the ranks of WWE - can anyone look at them in the ring now and believe that Cody Rhodes was once best known for being Hardcore Holly's tag partner? Or that Dolphin was in fact a member of - yes, he really was - The Spirit Squad?! However, while Cody's microphone work is better than Dolph's, his is still definitely improving, gets better almost every week, and in the ring, Ziggler can have a good match with literally anybody. A couple of weeks ago, he faced Santino one week then Mason Ryan the next, and put on great shows both times - proof that he could get a broomstick over if you ever needed it. I think both men will be world champions one day, but in Dolph's case, he's already been there once, and it's only a matter of time before he does it again.

I also love how neither guy was expected to be "the" guy for their faction. Everyone thought it'd be Ted DiBiase being the big star of the two young guys from Legacy, and Dykstra from Spirit Squad. A Cody v Ziggler feud will be BALLER in 2-3 years.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

This is a tough one since both guys are at the same status in WWE and have had very similar journeys to where they are at in the current time. When it comes to Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler I can definitively see 2 of the WWE's future main eventers either it be face or heel. I lean towards Rhodes more than I do Dolph though. You can not argue that Ziggler has had a far greater number of great matches that include Punk, Cena, Edge, and most of all Daniel Bryan. Cody has also had his fair share of good matches, though in reality his track record of quality matches does not compete with Dolph's. The reason I pick Cody however is because Rhodes has more of the main event look. Unless he is doing that cartoon like evil laugh I can always take him seriously. With Ziggler, I laugh when he does an angry face because it looks just odd. His screams during his matches that heels do like "I am better than you" sound awkward. Not to mention that Cody has a better character, I guess that Ziggler's gimmick is.... a guy that yells a lot about how he is awesome..... sound familiar? They are relatively the same in terms of mic skills though but Rhodes takes it for me just because of his look. Regardless of who is better and who you pick, you can not deny that WWE has a bright future with these 2 being the front runners of the next generation.