Cody Rhodes

Lore & Background

The son of Dusty Rhodes and half-brother of Dustin Rhodes, Rhodes won two Georgia state high-school championships as an amateur wrestler in 2003 and 2004. He signed with WWE in 2006 and featured for its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he won every title in the promotion. Between 2007 and 2016, he won seven world tag team championships with four different partners, as well as the Intercontinental Championship twice. During this time, he adopted various gimmicks, including performing as Stardust, a melodramatic spin-off of his brother's gimmick, Goldust.

He departed WWE in 2016 and returned in 2022, and has since won the Royal Rumble match in 2023 and 2024, the inaugural WWE Crown Jewel Championship in 2024, the King of the Ring tournament in 2025, and the WWE Championship three times, becoming the promotion's 34th Triple Crown Champion. From 2016 until 2019, Rhodes wrestled on the independent circuit and for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and Ring of Honor (ROH) under the mononym Cody, during which he won the ROH World Championship, ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson), and the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship once each.

In 2018, Rhodes and the Jacksons independently promoted All In, where he won the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship. All In marked the first event by a promoter outside of WWE or World Championship Wrestling (WCW) to sell 10,000 tickets in the United States since 1993 and directly led to the formation of AEW in early 2019. Between 2019 and 2022, Rhodes served as an executive vice president and also wrestled for AEW, becoming the inaugural and a three-time AEW TNT Champion. Between WWE, AEW, ROH, NJPW, and NWA, Rhodes has held 19 total championships (including five world titles).

Reader's Guide

Outside of wrestling, Rhodes served as a judge on the competition television series Go-Big Show and starred with his wife Brandi Rhodes on the reality television series Rhodes to the Top.

Did You Know?

• Rhodes legally changed his surname to 'Runnels Rhodes' as a teenager.
• He is of Cuban descent through his maternal grandfather.
• He is the nephew of professional wrestlers Jerry Sags and Fred Ottman, and the godson of professional wrestler Magnum T. A.
• Rhodes won the Georgia state high school wrestling championship at 189 lb in 2003 and repeated as champion his senior year.

Origins and Inaugural Tournament

In September 2019, shortly before All Elite Wrestling launched its flagship program, Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes hinted at a future television championship while prioritizing existing titles. By early 2020, amidst speculation about a secondary belt, the promotion officially announced an eight-man single-elimination tournament on March 30 via their YouTube series. The competition commenced in April with the final slated for the Double or Nothing pay-per-view. This victory established a new tier within the company's hierarchy, fulfilling the vision of a dedicated television title requested by WarnerMedia for their TNT network partnership.

Reigns and Championship Evolution

Cody Rhodes' tenure as champion was defined by an aggressive 'open challenge' policy, where he defended the title nearly weekly against various opponents, including independent wrestlers. During his second reign in late 2020, a legal dispute with WWE forced him to lengthen his ring name from simply 'Cody' to 'Cody Rhodes.' His third title victory came on Christmas Day 2021 against Sammy Guevara at a Rampage special, setting up a rematch for the Battle of the Belts event. However, Rhodes missed that scheduled defense due to COVID-19 quarantine protocols, leading to an interim champion scenario where his brother Dustin faced Guevara. The situation culminated in January 2022 when Guevara defeated Rhodes in a ladder match on Dynamite to become the undisputed champion.

Tribute to Brodie Lee

The history of the TNT Championship is deeply intertwined with the tragic death of its second holder, Huber, known professionally as Mr. Brodie Lee. Following his unexpected passing in late December 2020, AEW honored him by retiring the specific red-strap belt design he had used during his reign.

Brand Identity and Status

Named after the TNT network following a direct request from WarnerMedia, this championship was designed to anchor AEW's television presence on that specific channel. Even as programming schedules shifted with Dynamite moving to TBS in early 2022, the title retained its original name rather than being rebranded; instead, a separate women's TBS Championship was created. Company President Tony Khan has consistently rejected the notion of this belt being a 'mid-card' or secondary title, insisting it is a top-tier championship held by stars. Despite this internal stance, the title experienced rapid turnover between 2022 and 2023, earning the nickname 'hot potato' from journalists due to its frequent changes in hands.