THIS Is The Most Complete Pro Wrestler In The World Right Now

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He built his opponent, but with a smart, necessary acknowledgement that the old tactic hasn't worked, creating the expectation that Hager had to bring it to another level. He didn't patronise you. He didn't listlessly roll through the "he has great amateur credentials..." bit. Careful not to insult your intelligence, he found a new way to hook you in.

A generational babyface talent - the cracked tremble in his voice, the roaring physical fire, the relatable sense that he isn't the most spectacular nor slickest of in-ring talents - Cody is as good, if not better, at playing the heel.

That first post-WWE run divided opinion in the ring, but the threat to redesign the Bullet Club logo, Christ almighty. That was phenomenally inspired. He pinpointed the most sacred cow in all of wrestling, and hovered the bolt pistol over it with a demented glee.

We see incredible glimpses of that in Cody's TNT Championship run, in which he has truly put himself over as an elite in-ring talent. In a new and thrilling development, he has almost become this generation's Mick Foley, which is some testament to a range that also draws comparisons with Sting.

Capable of extracting the best from his opponents, Cody has thus far:

CONT'D...(5 of 6)

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!