10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About 2017

3. The Reinvention Of Cody

Triple H Jinder Mahal
njpw1972.com

Cody Rhodes' WWE career was defined by creative failure.

A generic Ruthless Aggression-style debut years after the drive ground to a halt; a faction return so diminished they might as well have named it 'Devolution'; a strange succession of superficial gimmicks; a series of stopgap tag teams far better than the sudden rug-pull to which they were subjected; the embarrassment that was Stardust: Cody was closer to Ed Leslie than his father, in terms of aspirational '80s stars.

Cody, to the surprise of nobody, left WWE in 2016 - but it was only this year that his predisposition as a proper worker underwent genetic manifestation; he sold himself as a free spirit entering a proving ground before insidiously recasting himself as a revolutionary. His marketing genius saw him evolve from run-of-the-mill developmental product to the cult sensation of 'Elite', through working himself into the Bullet Club and a career-best match opposite Kazuchika Okada.

The path to critical acclaim, creative freedom and per-appearance dough is paved beyond the walls of WWE, and this is something WWE probably wants to obscure from fans - and talent - alike.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!