As a longtime wrestling fan and avid gamer, I have been closely following Cody Rhodes’ journey in professional wrestling over the years. His recent transformation from a beloved babyface to a villain, despite never officially turning heel, has been fascinating to observe.
Cody Rhodes has gone from being the most widely-adored good guy in professional wrestling within the past few decades, to being heavily booed by fans just two years ago. This shift happened even though Rhodes never formally turned into a villain. Instead, he received the usual negative reactions from audiences during his intense rivalry with Malaki Black in the summer of 2021, starting at AEW’s inaugural Dynamite: Grand Slam event. Four months later, Rhodes left AEW and was out of the public eye until his surprise return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022.
Cody Rhodes Likens His AEW Exit to The Dark Knight’s Ending
The American Knightmare made himself the villain that AEW needed.
When I parted ways with AEW, there was chatter that they saw me as a secondary player and weren’t prepared to offer a salary on par with freshly signed main-eventers such as CM Punk and Bryan Danielson. Talking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, I shared that I’m cool with this portrayal, just like Batman accepted Gotham’s label of being the villain in The Dark Knight.
In simpler terms, Rhodes said, “The AEW storyline is complex, and I’m not trying to equate myself to Batman, but there’s a crucial part that some fans cling to. They prefer the narrative where I was rejected, pushed away, portrayed as the villain. I’ve been okay with this role because of my deep-rooted appreciation for it. Despite any personal disputes, I will always cherish it.”
In the final scene of The Dark Knight, it is revealed that District Attorney Harvey Dent has transformed into a villain, taking the lives of numerous Gotham residents and kidnapping Police Commissioner Jim Gordon’s loved ones. At this point, the people of Gotham are unaware of the true culprit behind these heinous acts. Later, when Dent succumbs to his fate and meets his demise, Batman and Gordon come to the grim conclusion that the citizens of Gotham would be plunged into chaos if they discovered their District Attorney was responsible for the mayhem. Consequently, Batman makes the selfless decision to assume responsibility for the crimes, shielding Dent’s reputation from public scrutiny.
As a gamer, I can say that, even if Rhodes didn’t mean it exactly like this when he left AEW, there’s some truth to the idea that he let a false narrative thrive to protect the power of the institution. In the months right after his departure, AEW saw some of its biggest victories. The crowds were huge, and the pay-per-view sales for AEW Revolution 2022 and AEW Double or Nothing 2022 were through the roof.
Rhodes defends his WWE Championship against Solo Sikoa at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday, August 3rd.
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2024-07-16 17:11