If you’re looking for a role model in the WWE, look no further than Cody Rhodes.
Pro wrestling might be a strange place to find a masculinity role model. The entire sport, or performance art as WWE legend Bret Hart described it, seems to strip everything down to the basics. There’s the core wrestling aspect, which is choreographed to perfection with a scripted ending. And there are the storylines that generally follow a classic good vs. evil trope or a variation thereof.
When Cody Rhodes returned to the WWE as The American Nightmare in 2022, after six years away from the company, he could have just blended in with the other men on the roster, but something about him stood out. It was not his custom theme song, “Kingdom” by the band Downstait, it was not his wrestling gear, or even the fact he is incredibly good looking (sighs). What really set Cody apart was his authentic self, which made its way past his on-screen persona.
“A man often finds his destiny on the path he takes to avoid it” is a quote Cody used on his first night back on RAW. Its’ an interesting choice since most of the talent in pro-wrestling use their time on the microphone to trash-talk their opponents to sell themselves as the hero. I have never heard anyone paraphrase French poet Jean de La Fontaine. The more he spoke, the more evident it became that Cody was well-read and considered his words and their impact before he said them. He makes a point, sometimes cuttingly so, without the use of curse words and without being crass. If only all men (and women) could do the same. Perhaps it should be something to strive for.
If there is one truth about Cody Rhodes that is undeniable, it’s that he loves his parents with all his heart and isn’t afraid to show it. Growing up in a culture in which millennials were taught that having a close relationship with your parents somehow made you a loser, seeing someone who works in a very masculine industry openly express his love for his mom and dad on live television in front of the entire world is refreshing. Cody unashamedly and unabashedly expresses his love for his parents whenever the opportunity presents itself. And if anyone saw the look on his face when he hugged his mom after winning the WWE Universal Championship they would know that none of it was ever just an act for the cameras.
Cody Rhodes always dresses in tailored three-piece suits. While his choice might seem a little extra, it really adds a touch of class to the sport. Interestingly, not everyone appreciates his outfit choices. “I had someone once tell me, and this was very dumb, this person, they’re not dumb who told me, but the statement was dumb that I shouldn’t wear suits,” Cody said on WWE’s After the Bell podcast. He went on to admit that while the suit started as a gimmick, it’s become part of who he is. “I’ve always had different outlooks on, you know, the classic quote of dress for the job you want, not the job you have. But I think in the beginning, admittedly the beginning, because I started wearing suits everywhere, every day when I left WWE in 2015, and when I went on the independent scene, and I’d be wearing a suit, and that, on an independent level, was very different, and a lot of people hadn’t seen that. And it was a gimmick. I think, if I can use that word, it was a gimmick.”
The most endearing quality Cody Rhodes possesses is not being afraid to show emotions. It’s almost as if the phrase “he wears his heart on his sleeve” was written specifically about him. On several occasions, his eyes filled with tears as he spoke about his late father, Dusty Rhodes, and how he wanted to win the Universal Championship to make him proud. While it might not seem like a big deal, people (especially young boys) were often taught that crying is a sign of weakness. But Cody doesn’t care about going against the norm and shares his feelings with honest authenticity. He talks about his family with warmth, and the love he has for his wife and daughter is evident, too. If every man could adopt a fraction of Cody’s vulnerability, the world would be better for it.
