10 WWE Stars Fans Refused To Give Up On

3. Cody Rhodes

F*ck Stardust.

That's probably still Cody Rhodes' view on the character in 2020, and it surely was in 2015 when he was larking about with fellow wanderers The Ascension and cutting promos on nothing in particular. Five years on, Cody is a key figure in AEW and one of the most respected names in the entire industry.

His turnaround is proof positive that wrestling fans aren't dumb. They could see that Cody was aching to ditch the costumed character, wipe those face paints off and repackage himself as something more serious. WWE, however, thought Stardust was his lot, and their hardheadedness sent Cody tumbling further and further away from the nest.

When he quit WWE in 2016, few things were certain. There was no AEW, and there were few examples of mid card workers who had willingly bolted and become an independent success away from the cosy McMahon bosom. Cody, due in no small part to his own determination, became the archetype of someone who refused to settle for less, and people were happy to join him on that journey.