WWE: A Close Look at the Rhodes vs. Big Show Showdown at WrestleMania XXVIII

A wrestler with the looks, skill set, and pedigree that Cody Rhodes contains was born for great things in this business, and a victory over the World’s Largest Athlete, the Big Show, at WrestleMania XXVIII is exactly what he needs to propel him on his destined path.

If it was Alberto Del Rio’s destiny to be World Champion, then it is Cody Rhodes' destiny to wrestle the pants off of the Big Show (a sight that possibly no one on this Earth would want to see) and to take his place on the Express Push Bus on which he was destined to ride. 

I realize that the WWE should not be free from criticism. I, much like most WWE fans, would rather see Cody Rhodes put his strong set of wrestling skills to the test against someone more on his level in-ring-wise. Anyone who has watched the Big Show in action recently knows quite well that the man is incapable of putting on a heavily technical match, but we should remember that it is still very well possible for an entertaining match to be had.

Despite many of the obvious drawbacks in the pairing of a technically gifted wrestler such as Cody Rhodes and a big brawler, whining about the match will not help us to enjoy this match any more come WrestleMania XXVIII. For any Cody Rhodes supporter, we should focus on the positives that a victory over the Big Show on April 1 will bring him. Like it or not, this is the match with which we are stuck, so we might as well try and make the most of it.

Let's Be Glad the IC Championship Made It on the Pay-Per-View

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the analysis of both competitors, let us simply take a moment to appreciate the fact that the Intercontinental Championship is even being defended while the pay-per-view airs.

It is no secret that the WWE hasn’t thought too lightly of its lower card belts in recent years, so I for one am just glad that such a prestigious title as the Intercontinental Championship has regained some value in the eyes of the powers that be at the WWE.

Taking a look at last year’s WrestleMania, WrestleMania XXVII, the title’s holder going into the pay-per-view was then “leader” of the Corre, Wade Barrett. Barrett had a match on the televised portion of the show, but it sure as heck was not for his Intercontinental Championship.

Instead, Barrett and the rest of the Corre were thrown into an eight-man tag team match against Kane, Big Show, Kofi Kingston, and Santino Marella. If you or I had gotten up to grab another beer or refill a bowl of chips, we would have missed the match entirely.

The match ended in less than two minutes, and it seemed as if the wrestler’s entrances were longer than the match itself. 

As I would assume, most people reading this article are fans of Cody Rhodes. I base this off of the fact that seemingly all of the Internet wrestling community loves the kid, and for plenty of great reasons.

My question to you, reader, is this: would you prefer Cody thrown into a meaningless tag team match that took less time to complete than an Undertaker entrance, or would you prefer to see Cody in a legitimate singles match and given the opportunity to further make a name for himself?

As for the Intercontinental Championship’s counterpart, the United States Championship, well, that title didn’t even make an appearance on your television at WrestleMania XXVII.

Then champion Sheamus and the challenger, Daniel Bryan, wrestled over the title during the first of the day’s two dark matches. For those who are truly upset by this Cody Rhodes vs. the Big Show match, we could always see the title defended during a dark match if that would be better suited toward your interest.

Upper Mid-Card Spots Are a Rarity This WrestleMania Season

Despite his opponent being the Big Show, a man whose limited in-ring ability and older age has been well-documented in recent memory, we should remember that this is the second straight year in which Cody Rhodes has earned a singles match vs. a former world champion at the grandest stage of them all.

To my delight, Rhodes managed a one-two-three pinfall victory over the ever popular Rey Mysterio. The match was one of the shinning moments in an otherwise incredibly disappointing and lackluster WrestleMania.

Although many of us have a much stronger faith in this year’s WrestleMania than we ever had going into last year’s installment, there is nothing that tells us why Cody couldn’t come away with yet another WrestleMania singles victory. 

Looking at the larger picture, I can take nothing but good feels from the WWE about their decision to include Rhodes in his second straight WrestleMania singles match.

Looking around the upper mid card scene in the WWE, and in particular other wrestlers on a similar level as Rhodes at the moment, we all should consider ourselves lucky that Rhodes has even been announced for any type of match.

Dolph Ziggler, fresh off of a series of WWE Championship opportunities, has been upsettingly uninvolved in much of this year’s build up to WrestleMania.

Christian, whose steady build up over the past year and some change, was severely derailed by an unfortunate injury a few months ago. A man capable of putting on a solid match with just about anyone, he has seen little to no action since (reportedly) recovering from his injuries.

Barring some large turn of events, his participation in this year’s WrestleMania seems in jeopardy. At the very least, we can safely assume he won’t be set to feature in his own singles man.

Surprise of the year and YouTube sensation Zach Ryder, whose stock has risen exponentially in recent months, has of late been a main fixture in the recent feud involving the company’s biggest star (who is John Cena, for those who don’t know), looks to be left out of anything of importance in WrestleMania XXVIII for two reasons.

First, his severe storyline injuries would take months from which to recover in kayfable-land. Second, his one possible feud partner, Kane, seems destined to meet Randy Orton at WrestleMania if this week’s events are anything to believe. 

With the recent speculation that the Money in the Bank match has been axed from this year’s WrestleMania, opportunities for wrestlers in the same part of the match card as Cody Rhodes to make it to this year’s event just became tremendously more difficult to come by.

Rhodes should consider himself fortunate that not only has he already been announced for the pay-per-view, but also he is fortunate enough to have landed his own singles match defending the Intercontinental Title.

I can only take Rhodes’ upcoming Intercontinental Championship match as a sign of good things to come for the up-and-coming Superstar.

There is an excellent reason why the man has so many fans among the “smarks” or wrestling’s internet fan base, and this match at WrestleMania XXVIII should serve as a reward for all of our support, not a damnation of it.

WrestleMania History Will Be on Cody's Side

It would be a great tragedy and just plain bad writing if, in an analysis of a WrestleMania showdown between and up-and-coming, set for a big break, mid card champion and the Big Show, I failed to mention a previous meeting under very similar circumstances.

Yes, I am of course referring to the WrestleMania XX match between John Cena and the Big Show for the United States Championship. 

For those few of you who are not familiar with what occurred at the event and the great benefits it had on his career, here is a quick recap. John Cena went on to defeat the Big Show at WrestleMania XX, winning the United States Championship.

He then went on to feature in a high profile feud involving Kurt Angle, filmed his starring role in The Marine, and returned in time for a WrestleMania buildup that culminated in a WWE Championship victory over JBL at WrestleMania XXI. As far as the rest of the story goes… well, let’s just say that John Cena has gone on to do pretty darn well for himself.

No, I am not trying to make the argument that Cody Rhodes has been set on a path that involves a world title victory at WrestleMania XXIX.

Nor am I insinuating that Cody is destined to star in The Marine: A Failed Attempt for More Money. For the love of God, there should be no more half-hearted attempts at decent cinema from WWE Films.

That being said, a victory over the former six-time world champion would do greatly for any wrestler’s career. After all, he was the first man to win the WCW, ECW, WWE, and World Heavyweight Championship. That is no small feat.

Even the Best in the World at Everything He Does, Chris Jericho, can’t add that to his long list of accomplishments. 

Let's Concentrate on the Positives Here

A wrestler with the looks, skill set, and pedigree that Cody Rhodes contains was born for great things in this business, and a victory over the World’s Largest Athlete, the Big Show, at WrestleMania XXVIII is exactly what he needs to propel him on his destined path.

If it was Alberto Del Rio’s destiny to be World Champion, then it is Cody Rhodes' destiny to wrestle the pants off of the Big Show (a sight that possibly no one on this Earth would want to see) and to take his place on the Express Push Bus on which he was destined to ride. 

I realize that the WWE should not be free from criticism. I, much like most WWE fans, would rather see Cody Rhodes put his strong set of wrestling skills to the test against someone more on his level in-ring-wise.

Unfortunately, that is not the case for this year's WrestleMania. For any Cody Rhodes supporter, we should focus on the positives that a victory over the Big Show on April 1 will bring him. Like it or not, this is the match with which we are stuck, so we might as well try and make the most of it.