The Complete A-Z Of Wrestling In 2017

24. C - Cody

The Shield Paige
ROHWrestling.com

Continuing his incredible independent run from 2016 early into the year, the former 'Dashing' one made unthinkably large strides in both New Japan Pro Wrestling as a key member of Bullet Club and Ring Of Honor as their World Champion.

He officially signed with ROH in September after unveiling a literal Ring of Honor for fans and opponents to kiss in place of him adhering to the Code Of Honor. Rhodes later lost the title in grand fashion to Dalton Castle at December's Final Battle after revealing a brand new title belt and incredible new bleached blonde look in tribute to his 'Royal' family lineage.

A master marketeer in an era for the industry where having such a deft touch for self-promotion has never been so important, Rhodes has found unique new ways to keep himself at the forefront of the scene despite not quite assembling the array of matches of a Kenny Omega nor having the valuable WWE machine behind his every move.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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