Cody Rhodes surprised many with how well he adapted to the independent scene, making a splash before he'd even dropped a cheap pop bionic elbow.
His tweet noting a list of goals he had as an emancipated sports entertainer was a shrewd attempt to curry favour with fans he knew weren't anticipating his arrival. Cody was one of countless underutilised WWE performers, but that alone wasn't going to guarantee him the loyalty of an audience pre-disposed to genuine cases of those fighting the man or raging against the machine. Rhodes had made good money from said man and machine and was born into the business as it was.
This day one acknowledgement was the first of hundreds of smart steps that paved the way to ALL IN. His appreciation for the scene was reflected by quantity and quality - he wasn't just working odd great matches, but many excellent ones. He was experiencing a rebirth, collecting the affection of brand new fans and weathered cynics in equal measure. Joining Bullet Club - a faction synonymous with both those key demographics - was the next crucial turning point.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
