10 Most Underrated WWE Feuds Of The 2010s
3. Cody Rhodes Vs. Rey Mysterio (2011)
Your writer spoke earlier about how the legitimate assets of one party's life can often bring an otherwise standard professional wrestling rivalry over the line; that rule cannot be applied to Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio anymore.
Wrestling on the 21 January 2011 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio legitimately broke Rhodes' nose as he executed the 619 with his knee brace exposed. Was a feud between the pair planned beyond this? Possibly not. There just wasn't anything there to justify why the duo would do such a thing, particularly with WrestleMania season impending.
Instead, Cody and Rey had one of 'Mania 27's only matches worth watching.
With 'The American Nightmare' being forced to wear a protective face mask due to this genuine injury, the AEW Executive Vice President took this and ran with it. He didn't want the mask to just be a part of his look for a few months. No, Cody wanted the mask to become his character, resulting in two banging matches at 'Mania 27 and the following month's Extreme Rules.
It's weird to think that this would never have been as gritty and stunning as it was had it not been for Rhodes' broken nose. How the f*ck did WWE ruin this guy as bad as they did?