Home Sport A Hero Forged In Hell: The Night Cody Rhodes Became A WWE Legend

A Hero Forged In Hell: The Night Cody Rhodes Became A WWE Legend

Sport — 08/06/2024 · 0 Comment

The American Nightmare Become A Champion Well Before WrestleMania 40

“The Indomitable Human Spirit” is often used on social media today. Although it’s not officially defined, most people recognize it when they see it or experience it themselves. In simple terms, it represents the resilience and unyielding aspect of humanity, where people push themselves beyond their limits in the most intense and important moments.

While there have been countless moments in WWE history that this phrase could be attached to, none in recent memory does so more than Cody Rhodes’ epic performance at WWE Hell in a Cell 2022.

To fully appreciate the gravity of this moment, let’s go back to what brought us to this moment in the first place.

Building A Brand And Shedding Skin

In 2022, Cody Rhodes triumphantly returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38. The move sent shock waves throughout the wrestling world.

After his release from the company in 2016, Rhodes spent years working on the indie circuit, competing in every promotion he could and winning gold left and right. Rhodes’ mission was to establish himself as the main event star he always knew he was and prove that the WWE machine wasn’t necessary for success. He even went as far as to be a founding member of WWE’s biggest rival promotions since WCW, All Elite Wrestling.

Cody Rhodes while signed to All Elite Wrestling

While Cody Rhodes proved himself the top performer in every promotion he competed in, his ability to prove himself as a promoter and businessman with the ALL IN pay-per-view and formation of AEW was even more significant. Rhodes proved that he had the chops not just to be a promotions top star but it’s face.

Cody Rhodes details this in his eventual Peacock Documentary, American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes. In later interviews, the future world champion would say how important it was for WWE to cover ALL IN and his time in AEW.

In April 2022, Cody Rhodes made his surprise return to his former company at WrestleMania 3. He would face off against Seth Rollins and win his singles match in WWE since March of 2016.

This would spark Rhodes’ first full-fledged feud in WWE and ultimately lead to another two epic PLE matches between the two—one at WrestleMania Backlash and the last being the aforementioned Hell in a Cell match.

From A Dream To A Nightmare

Things couldn’t be going better for Cody Rhodes. He had returned to a thunderous ovation and had backed up his win over Seth Rollins at WrestleMania by beating him again at the following pay-per-view. Rollins became incensed with taking down The American Nightmare, and their blood feud would lead the two men to be booked inside Hell in a Cell.

Unfortunately, the smooth sailing would come to an abrupt end. On the final episode of RAW before the Hell In A Cell PLE, Cody Rhodes suffered a partially torn pectoral tendon. The injury would be exacerbated during Rhodes’ training before the PLE, with the tendon being torn totally off the bone.

Cody Rhodes on the RAW before Hell in A Cell 2022

The news was devastating, as the hopes and dreams of the WWE Universe for Cody Rhodes seemed to hit a brick wall the size of Texas. Cody Rhodes’ dream to Finish The Story would inevitably need to be put on pause. More so, the moment was crushing for Rhodes himself. Recently, Cody Rhodes commented on the moment via social media. Noting that he was “Embarrassed and dejected.”

The only question on everyone’s mind was, “How long?” would the American Nightmare be gone? However, something no one was asking was, “Will he still compete in Hell in a Cell?”

And why would they? Surely, there was no way Rhodes would compete in a match with such a significant injury, right? Wrong.

Less than an hour before the start of the event, WWE confirmed Cody Rhodes’ injury on social media. Then, to everyone’s surprise, it was revealed that Rhodes still planned on performing at the event!

This seemed inconceivable to the fans. Although Rhodes could not technically “damage” the tendon any further, the pain he would experience during the bout would be excruciating. Fans would soon discover that Rhodes’ dedication knows no bounds.

Cody Rhodes Becomes Immortal

To call the lead-up to the main event intense would be a massive understatement. As each of the other six matches went by, fans waited with bated breath to see how Cody Rhodes would look when he stood across from Seth Rollins inside Hell In A Cell.

Rollins himself would add even more drama to the moment, wearing gear featuring yellow polka dots, a clear reference to Rhodes’ father, The American Dream Dusty Rhodes. Soon, Rhodes himself would arrive to a thunderous reaction. Wounded, but determined.

While wearing his jacket, Rhodes could have fooled the WWE Universe into thinking all was fine. However, soon, the reality of the situation settled in, as Rhodes revealed the severity of his injury. Showing the significant bruising that riddled half of his body.

The gnarly sight invoked an immediate gasp from the 12,000 fans inside the Allstate Arena. Rendering them silent as they watched, Rhodes painfully removed his jacket. The only person exhibiting any joy was Rhodes’ appointment across from him.

While the time between the opening bell and the first punch-up would be less than 60 seconds, it felt like an eternity. The tension, and even fear, for WWE fans was enormous. How could Rhodes possibly compete with essentially one arm and a massive target for Seth Rollins to go after?

What fans would end up being treated to was nothing short of a classic.

With the weight of the world on his battered shoulders, Cody Rhodes persevered and pushed himself to a place no one could have imagined. Battling through physical and emotional turmoil, Rhodes took the fight to Rollins. No punches were pulled, and no weapons were off-limits. In typical Seth Rollins fashion, he did not allow opportunities to pass to apply force to Rhodes’ black and blue painted arm and chest, but Rhodes refused to fall.

The professional wrestling world stood still. Fans and critics alike couldn’t take their eyes off what they saw. Cody Rhodes, a man with a completely torn pectoral muscle, wrestled for 25 minutes inside Hell in a Cell.

The “Hell” for Rhodes wasn’t just physical. It was mental. Only three premium live event matches into his epic return; The American Nightmare feared that all he had hoped to achieve in his return back was about to go up in smoke.

Little did Cody Rhodes know that this setback would never be remembered as a “disappointment” or “failure”; instead, it would be remembered as a triumph. When all was said and done, Rhodes stood tall as the winner of not just the match but of the hearts and minds of the WWE Universe.

While Rhodes would need to take considerable time off after the match, not returning until January at the Royal Rumble following surgery to repair the tricep, it didn’t matter. The WWE Universe did not think less of Rhodes; they thought more of him. Their appreciation for his unwavering commitment to exceeding what most could handle was overwhelming.

Rhodes says the fans, not his own will, pushed him that night.

“I didn’t win this match, Chicago won it for me. I was so embarrassed and dejected, nothing in the eyes and just enough left in the tank for one dance. Just the clips are wild enough for me. ”

It was this night that WWE fans knew they had their hero. All that Cody Rhodes had been hyped up to be was true, his words proving to be anything but hollow. Even with the knowledge that Rhodes would need to step away for some time, the WWE Universe knew he wouldn’t let them down when they needed him.

It’s easily one of the gutsiest performances in WWE history and conjured open comparisons to other iconic moments in sports, such as Michael Jordan’s Flu game, Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series Walk-Off Home Run, and Tiger Wood’s 2008 US Open Win.

At WrestleMania 38, Rhodes went from Undesirable to Undeniable. At WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes Finished The Story. But on the match on June 5th, 2022, Cody Rhodes cemented himself as a Legend.