The Greater Legacy: Cody or Ted

Upon the dissolution of any faction, there are questions whether or not the individual parts will ever exist outside of the original organism. In the most recent case, many are wondering whether or not Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase will be successful now that Legacy has fallen apart.

It’s worth noting that Orton is the only one to have truly left the group. For now, at least, Cody and Ted remain on the same side in opposition of their former mentor. Whether this arrangement will last is yet to be seen. If Legacy goes the way of Evolution, it could mean great things for the second-generation stars as Orton and Batista are now two of the biggest names in the industry. It’s also possible Rhodes and DiBiase will go the way of DX sidekicks Road Dogg and Billy Gunn. Maybe they’ll land somewhere in the middle as did Arn Anderson from the original Four Horsemen. Only time will tell whether or not they will make it. For now, let’s break them down and try to make some predictions.

Cody Rhodes

Debut: July 2007, Cody debuted as a bright-eyed rookie and son of the legendary American Dream Dusty Rhodes. He entered on TV mini-feud with Randy Orton who was still riding high on his Legend Killer schtick. Cody took a beating from Randy as he tried to defend his father’s honor. After this, he feuded and ultimately teamed with Bob “Hardcore” Holly and the duo even won the tag titles. After a five month reign, Cody turned on Holly and began teaming with DiBiase, taking the tag belts with him in the process.

Positives: Cody has a good look. While it is a bit of a John Mayer “Body is a Wonderland” look, it’s still marketable. At 6-1, he has good size, good enough to be a player in the WWE upper card. He’s a solid talker, not great by any stretch, but he has worked past his speech impediment and can progress a storyline on the mic.

Negatives: Boring in the ring. I can’t name two moves that are distinctly Cody Rhodes. He uses his CrossRhodes finisher, which is the same as the Test Drive, the Roll of the Dice or whatever name has been given to a spinning face buster. While I did say he has good size, he is hardly imposing. And while I said he can progress a storyline on the mic, he’s not his father by any stretch, or even his brother (Goldust/Dustin Rhodes), though.

Conclusion: Cody plays a good heel, it’s natural for him, much as it is for Orton and it’s why they made a good master-pupil pair. His future solely depends on how he is booked, which should go without say, though, since this is the case for any wrestler. His last name and association with Orton will give him a leg up backstage, so he may get the support he needs. From past booking, it’s been made clear that he’s viewed as the lesser of the Legacy tag team, often being the one to eat the pinfall, take the beating from Orton, etc. More so than Ted, Cody needs a change of scenery come Draft time. He needs to be somewhat repackaged, my proposal “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes in order to playoff his father’s notoriety. Some solid mid-card feuds could put him in a position to make a move up the card in a year or so.

Ted DiBiase

Debut: In May 2008, accompanied by his father The Million Dollar Man, Ted Jr. cut a solid promo from the stage on Rhodes and Holly during their tag title reign. As I said earlier, Rhodes turned on Holly, joining DiBiase to form The Legacy which later added Orton.

Positives: Ted seems to pretty solidly have the Creative Staff on his side. Vince likes his look and his skills, putting him in the Marine 2, the Elimination Chamber match and letting him be the one that has regularly gotten one over on Orton, even pinning him during the Chamber match this year. Ted can cut a good promo, even though he hasn’t had the opportunity often. His finisher, Dream Street, is impressive and recognizable. Hearkening back to his father’s Million Dollar Dream sleeper hold, Ted slaps on the Dream and uses leverage to drive his opponent’s face into the mat, much like Jeff Jarrett’s Stroke finisher. It can be used quickly out of a reversal or also with an Orton-esque stalking sequence from behind.

Negatives: DiBiase is still very young and while he is recognizable with the crowd, he has always been part of a team since debuting. While Rhodes debuted into a hot feud against Orton and enjoyed some strong exposure while teaming with Bob Holly, Ted debuted into Legacy and has been identifiable with the stable since the beginning. It will take some time before he can really step out of his role as Orton’s lackey.

Conclusion: With full confidence, I can say Ted Jr. is going to be a star in the WWE. He has a great look, good skills in the ring and the chops to cut it on the mic. It may not be a meteoric rise to the top, but with support from Vince and the creative staff, he will get over. As I said before, he needs something to set up apart. He can’t come out of this Legacy feud with a bland persona. He needs a mission, a drive, something to give him an edge.