Cody Rhodes

Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes was born on June 30, 1985, in Marietta, Georgia, USA.
Cody, the son of professional wrestling legend "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, built his career around establishing his own identity beyond the shadow of his father's legacy and elevating family honor to its highest level.
He began his WWE career in 2007, achieving success by performing with groups such as "Legacy" and portraying characters like "Dashing" Cody Rhodes.
However, after being assigned the character "Stardust," which he felt constrained his creativity, he voluntarily left WWE in 2016, embarking on a rare journey in the wrestling world.
After leaving WWE, Rhodes reinvented himself on the independent wrestling scene.
Adopting the identity of "The American Nightmare", he wrestled for promotions around the globe, including Ring of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and became ROH World Champion.
In 2018, alongside The Young Bucks, he organized the independent "ALL IN" show, which changed the course of the wrestling industry and sold over 10,000 tickets.

Following this success, he became one of the founders and vice presidents of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), established in 2019 as WWE's first serious rival after many years. After playing a pivotal role in AEW's founding, he shocked the wrestling world with a decisive move to leave AEW in 2022, making a grand return to WWE at WrestleMania 38. His sole purpose for this return was to win the WWE Championship—a title his father never secured during his career—thereby "completing the story." Along this path, he demonstrated extraordinary resilience by competing in a legendary Hell in a Cell match despite a torn pectoral muscle. Undeterred by the disappointment of losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, Rhodes, thanks to his unwavering determination, secured another main event spot the following year. At WrestleMania 40, he defeated Roman Reigns, achieving his career's greatest goal and becoming the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. This victory marked the emotional culmination of a years-long journey, dedication, and family love. As of July 2025, Cody Rhodes remains the reigning champion and the undisputed face of WWE.

He wrote one of the most inspiring stories in wrestling history as an icon who left the largest company to chart his own path, changed the industry's rules, and returned to complete his legacy.