Rey Mysterio's Key Role in Cody Rhodes' WWE Career Breakthrough

Rhodes revealed that the only reason he had a match at WrestleMania 27 was due to Mysterio taking the initiative and talking to the higher-ups. At the time, the two were in a feud because of a legitimate injury that happened on the January 21, 2011, episode of SmackDown. Rhodes was then known as “Dashing Cody Rhodes,” but later, Mysterio accidentally broke his nose, and it changed his whole character for the better. He said:

There was a moment at the BOK Center, I’m in Oklahoma, and I was walking by the Chairman’s office, and Rey Mysterio pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, I want to wrestle you at WrestleMania. We’re gonna go in [sic] the office and talk about it.’ And I was ready, and I had my idea, and it was even written down in my backpack. But when I went in that room, when I came out, my career was different. It genuinely was a break beyond it wasn’t just an opportunity, it was a break, it was something special.” (h/t: Sportkeeda)

It was Rhodes who got the win over Mysterio at WrestleMania. Five years later, Rhodes would leave WWE, co-found AEW, and then, in 2022, he would return to the promotion at WrestleMania 38. Though AEW and way before his WWE return, it’s worth mentioning that both Mysterio and Rhodes met outside of a WWE ring. It was in 2018 at a New Japan Pro Wrestling Event, where Rhodes, Hangman Adam Page, and Marty Scurll defeated Mysterio, Jushin Thunder Liger, and Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Cody Is Forever Grateful

Rhodes went on to tell Jelly Roll that if it wasn’t for the WWE Hall of Famer and their WrestleMania moment, his career would be now. To Cody, it was a turning point for him. At the time, he had only been with WWE for four years. He added:

“I forever, even though I don’t share it with him enough. I forever think of Rey as if there’s nothing. I have nothing. If this moment never happens. And I often think about, ‘how do you thank somebody? Do you thank Dom? Do you befriend Dom? Do you watch over him? What is it?’ And I’ve never really figured out, other than saying it, ‘Hey, this was one of the most important things, if not the most important thing.'”

Now many years after WrestleMania 27, Rhodes is a two-time WWE Undisputed Champion, earning his second title reign during night two of SummerSlam by defeating then-champion John Cena. It's safe to say that Rhodes is considered one of the most popular WWE Superstars.