10 MUST-SEE Cody Rhodes Matches

7. Cody vs. Kota Ibushi – Wrestle Kingdom 12

Cody was ridiculously well protected during his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling. During his two year run in the company, he only lost four times. While this was one of those times, it was also one of his best matches ever. Kota Ibushi had been off-limits to Bullet Club due to his history with Kenny Omega but Cody being the arrogant heel he was, challenged Ibushi anyway.

At Wrestle Kingdom 12, Cody and Ibushi had a tremendous match. Cody was a dastardly villain, using his wife Brandi to get an advantage on his opponent. This was the only match on the show without a title on the line, but that didn’t mean it lacked stakes. This was the match that set the Bullet Club Civil War in motion. Therefore it has historical significance on top of being a fantastic battle. A true must-see.

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6. Cody vs. Kota Ibushi – Wrestling Dontaku Day One 2018

Following Cody’s match with Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 12, Cody’s friction with Kenny Omega began to boil over. This led to the reformation of the Golden Lovers when Ibushi saved Omega from a Cody beatdown. While that was an extremely emotional moment, Cody got another shot at Ibushi at Wrestling Dontaku.

This time, Cody was able to get one of the biggest wins of his career. At this point, Cody and Omega was the focal point of the story but Ibushi still wanted retribution against Cody as well. They had a very intense match and while it may not be quite as good as their Wrestle Kingdom match, this one places higher because it was one of the biggest wins of Cody’s career.

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5. Cody vs. Kenny Omega – ROH Supercard of Honor XII

Cody was the biggest heel in Ring of Honor for most of his time in the promotion. Arguably his peak as a heel in ROH was his match with Kenny Omega at Supercard of Honor XII. This wasn’t the blowoff match between them as that would come at New Japan’s G1 Special in San Francisco, but this gave Cody a massive win on ROH’s biggest show to date.

Omega was one of the hottest wrestlers in the world at the time and being involved in a big match with him showed how far Cody had come in the two years since he left WWE. This was right in the middle of the Bullet Club Civil War and as a result, the Young Bucks were torn on where their allegiances were. The whole thing made for an excellent match and a very fun story.

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4. Cody vs. Chris Jericho – AEW Full Gear

“This isn’t about my dad. This isn’t about the dead, it’s about the living. It’s about my mother, my sister, my wife, it’s about the fourteen years it took me to go from undesirable to un-goddamn-deniable!”

That was the quote Cody uttered prior to his match with Chris Jericho at AEW Full Gear. This was the potentially the biggest match of Cody’s career as he stepped up to the plate trying to become AEW World Champion. He was facing Chris Jericho for a world title in a big pay per view and for the first time, he totally belonged.

This was a classic, old-school match. It was not to be for Cody, but there was the drama. In Cody’s corner was his protege MJF. Cody was in a bad way throughout this match as he landed on his face on the ramp, cutting himself open early. When it was clear that Cody was beaten and locked in the Lion Tamer, MJF threw in the towel, submitting for his mentor. It was tremendous drama, leading to the drama of MJF turning on Cody moments later.

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