11 Ups & 4 Downs From ALL IN 2018
8. Pantomime Perfection
Good grief, this Cody vs. Nick Aldis match. What an incredible display of pro-wrestling cheese.
The entrances alone were enough to give the lactose intolerant nightmares. Cody gave his wife, Brandi a totally unnecessary introduction. The cameras then cut backstage as he made his own arrival, surrounded by the Nightmare Family, whose ranks included Diamond Dallas Page, Tommy Dreamer, and fellow wrestling LEGEND Glacier. Cody's dog Pharaoh was there too, and more over than half the wrestlers on the show. What a time to be alive.
As if that wasn't enough, the boys wheeled out the hilariously out-of-his-depth OVW announcer who called Rhodes' first ever match, and had Earl Hebner cut an atrocious pre-bout promo to boot. It was pure, corny pantomime, and this writer lapped it up.
The bout itself felt like a straight up '80s throwback, which, given the story (Cody chasing one of the most storied championships of his planet - one his father fought for 30 years ago) made perfect sense. The DDP/Daivari interferences weren't necessary, but the rest delivered, and Cody was the most over man in the building when he won.