In 2010, Cody Rhodes was given the nickname 'Dashing'. Playing on the idea that he was infatuated with himself, the moniker instantly reinvigorated Rhodes and gave him a character to sink his teeth into. Then, disaster struck. In January, 2011, Rey Mysterio genuinely shattered Cody's nose with an errant kick. The masked man's knee brace collided with Cody's face, causing him serious injury. Instead of taking extended time off, Rhodes returned just over one month later, sporting a clear mask which was said to protect his nose. In no time at all Cody started talking about how he was no longer 'Dashing', and started portraying a darker, more sinister persona. Many fans felt this was simply a character, but the reality is that Cody legitimately needed to wear the mask on his face. His injuries not yet healed, the wrestler required the see-through mask for medical reasons more than anything else. He did wrestle with it on, but later told that it was difficult to really perform to the best of his abilities whilst wearing the thing. It's not hard to see why and the mask must have been pretty uncomfortable. Still, it was an interesting change of direction for Cody's character, even if it was an unscripted one.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.