Cody Rhodes Providing Blueprint for Successful Post-WWE Career

Every frustrated, underused and underrated WWE Superstar sitting in the locker room as Raw airs each week needs to watch and take notes on how Cody Rhodes has positioned himself on the independent circuit.

No longer content with being on the bench for pro wrestling's biggest company, Rhodes ventured out on his own. He has since drummed up major interest in a series of intriguing matches, building on his WWE fame and deftly working social media to sell himself.

Less than a month ago, Rhodes was still Stardust, the bizarre, cackling, glittery heel who would feel right at home in the pages of a Batman comic book.

But WWE had clearly given up on that character and Rhodes as a whole. The former intercontinental champion didn't make the card for the Fastlane, Roadblock or Payback events. He wasn't in line for any titles and failed to maintain any lengthy rivalries.

If WWE kept scorecards, Rhodes' would often read, "Did not wrestle: Company decision."

And so he left, coming to terms on his release on May 22, per WWE.com. Rhodes soon released a lengthy statement about why he chose to make his exit. In it, he talked of his frustration with WWE Creative, about wanting to strip himself of the Stardust act.

"It's been said never to leave money on the table, but no money is worth being less than you are," Rhodes wrote.

As it hard as it must have been to give up the steady paycheck, Rhodes didn't wait for his worth to dry up, to be booked into the ground, to be left off TV long enough to atrophy. He went seeking creative fulfillment outside WWE's walls.

Credit: WWE.com

On Hannibal TV, former WWE wrestler Al Snow commented on how Rhodes was taking a route that was the norm during pro wrestling's territorial days. And in Snow's mind, leaving WWE should be a springboard, not a stop sign.

He said, "If you use the stage correctly, you can now sell your product in other places because you've established an audience, the biggest audience you possibly establish."

That is exactly what Rhodes has done. By leaving when he did, his name had more buzz around it than it would have if he had waited to part ways.

And boy, is Rhodes selling his product.

The son of wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes set the Internet ablaze by posting what looked to be a wish list of opponents on Twitter, one that mentioned Roderick Strong from Ring of Honor, the indy favorite duo The Young Bucks, TNA Hall of Famer Kurt Angle and others:

The items on that list are quickly becoming reality.

Rhodes announced that he will appear for the EVOLVE promotion on Aug. 19. He told fans via Twitter that he and former Pro Wrestling Syndicate tag team champ Pat Buck will go at it on September 10 in Rahway, New Jersey:

California-based indy company Pro Wrestling Guerrilla tweeted that Rhodes will be at its annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament, to which Rhodes replied, "It's not just smoke and mirrors...I'll see ya' in Reseda."

Northeast Wrestling posted on Facebook that Rhodes will compete at the promotion's Wrestling Under the Stars event on August 27 against Angle. As Rhodes tweeted, he will also be facing current TNA star Mike Bennett on August 26:

Rhodes is putting together his own tour of standalone dream bouts.

And because of his name, and often the names of his opponents, it doesn't matter what promotion he signs on for; fans are going to seek out these matches whether they have heard of places like Northeast Wrestling or not.

Bennett vs. Rhodes and Angle vs. Rhodes are the kind of matches usually relegated to one's imagination, a meeting of wrestlers who occupy different planes. But freed now from his WWE ties, the artist formerly known as Stardust is able to make those fantasy showdowns happen. 

Indy wrestler Gran Akuma noted how exciting and unexpected Rhodes working with EVOLVE is:

That's true for all of these moves. Rather than see him just appear sporadically for WWE, fans are poised to watch Rhodes bounce around to a variety of intriguing clashes of his own design.

He has cobbled together a schedule that has fans talking. He has done so very publicly, using Twitter to generate buzz for each upcoming item on his agenda.

Now the wrestling fanbase will be looking forward to seeing whether Rhodes will fill out the rest of that wish list and what new paths he'll carve out for himself. 

The money he's earning can't compare to working for a man with pockets as deep as Vince McMahon's, but there is ample value in setting one's own schedule, in not waiting around for opportunities and seeking out showdowns that excite both wrestler and audience.

WWE perennial benchwarmers like Zack Ryder have to be contemplating following Rhodes' lead, checking off items from their own wish list.