WWE: Is Cody Rhodes on His Way Up, or Destined to Be Mid-Card?

The vast majority of fans called for 2012 to be the year that Cody Rhodes ascends to main-event status. What, exactly, is holding him back from doing so? He has a great old-school feel to his look and wrestling, he's come a long way with his mic skills and the Rhodes name alone has a lot of power behind it.

Here we are, over five months into the year, and Rhodes hasn't exactly climbed any further up the ladder. WrestleMania XXVIII, the biggest night of the year, saw Rhodes lose to Big Show after weeks of Rhodes showing how much of a chump Show is. If that didn't make Rhodes look bad enough, Show continued to make a fool out of him for weeks to come.

It wasn't always that way, though. Rhodes had a great showing in the Royal Rumble, lasting over 40 minutes. He also made an impact in the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber by pinning Big Show. All the forward momentum Rhodes had since the beginning of the year has essentially been erased by the way he's been booked since 'Mania.

The second generation star seems to be getting back on track. He recently won the Intercontinental Championship back from Big Show at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view. While that was a step back in the right direction, does it help him establish himself as a main-event competitor?

In my opinion, Rhodes is a great Intercontinental Champion. He has done a lot to help rebuild the legitimacy of the title. He's feuded with behemoths like Ezekiel Jackson, up-and-comers like Wade Barrett and even top babyface Randy Orton.

That said, I had hoped that losing the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania would result in him moving up the card. The fact that he won the title back less than a month later, not to mention the flukey manner in which it happened, makes me believe that people behind the scenes don't believe he's ready to take a more prominent spot on the blue brand.

So, for now, it would seem that Rhodes has been relegated to the mid-card. Will he remain there? I don't think so but only time will tell. As I mentioned, he has what it takes to become a main-event player. Rhodes is only 26 years old. If 2012 isn't the year he breaks into the World Championship scene, he still has plenty of time to do so.

Thanks for reading. As always, I appreciate any feedback on my writing. Feel free to spark a conversation with me regarding what was discussed in this column by commenting or reaching out to me on Twitter @MikePW247. Also, be sure to tune in to This Very Ring every Sunday night at 11 p.m. ET to listen to myself and Stan Grubb discuss all things pro wrestling.