WWE: 10 Reasons Cody Rhodes Is the Next Big Star

The WWE is like the nighttime sky—it's full of stars. 

You have guys like Triple H, John Cena, CM Punk and Randy Orton who are at the top of the company and are among the most notable names in the history of professional wrestling.

But what happens when those stars fade away into backstage roles or retirement?

They get replaced.

The creative team has done a fantastic job booking some of its younger or newer wrestlers—like Alberto Del Rio or The Miz—as future superstars. But they must continue to do that if the company is going to succeed in the foreseeable future.

That's where someone like Cody Rhodes comes in.

He is the future of the WWE, and I'm here to tell you why he's the company's next big star.

10. He's Made Multiple Gimmicks Work

Cody Rhodes has done something that not a lot of wrestlers can say they've done: He's thrived under multiple gimmicks.

Rhodes first rose to fame as a second-generation superstar alongside Ted DiBiase and Randy Orton in Legacy, and he's gone on to completely reinvent himself not once, but twice.

After being drafted to SmackDown in 2010, Rhodes developed his "Dashing" persona that he stuck with for a brief period before adopting his current "Undashing" character, that has him looking like a big time player on the blue brand.

Although Rhodes certainly had different levels of success with these three characters, the bottom line is that he indeed had success. Period.

He wrestled Randy Orton in a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 26, and his turn from "Dashing" to "Undashing" led to a very good WrestleMania 27 feud with Rey Mysterio. 

Rhodes just flat out knows how to make his character work.  

9. He's a Heel

Look at this list of WWE wrestlers who became breakout stars in recent years: Sheamus, The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, Mark Henry and Wade Barrett.

What do all of those guys have in common? Oh yeah, they're all heels.

I guess it has something to do with the fact that it's easier to get over as a heel than a face, but the creative team seems to get behind babyfaces a lot more than heels.

Heels get to the top of the business a lot quicker and, by my last check, Cody Rhodes was a heel. Thus, he's got as good a chance as any young mid-carder to make it the main event scene within the next year or so.

Possibly sooner.

8. He Can Get Others over

The mark of a true superstar is his ability to help get someone else over.

Someone like The Miz did it for Alex Riley, and Cody Rhodes has done it for Ted DiBiase.

The son of the Million Dollar man was a complete afterthought on Raw for most of 2010 and really didn't serve much of a purpose on SmackDown earlier this year—until he joined forces with Rhodes.

When Rhodes took DiBiase under his wing, he was able to make DiBiase relevant again on the blue brand, which I thought was almost impossible after the horrible booking of DiBiase for much of last year.

Now, with the two recently beginning a feud with each other, it'll be Rhodes that helps get DiBiase over again, this time as a face.

If that doesn't scream "superstar," then I don't know what does.

7. His Name

You're crazy if you think that Cody Rhodes' last name doesn't mean anything.

It damn sure does.

Being the son of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes gives Cody a lot of benefits that guys without famous wrestling fathers don't typically get. I'm not trying to take anything away from Cody, but it's the truth.

It's why guys like Ted DiBiase can get to the WWE in the first place, and it'll certainly help them stay with the company or rise to the top of it.

If Cody Rhodes was Cody Roberts, I doubt he'd be getting the push he's gotten for the better part of a year.

6. Interaction with the WWE's Top Stars

Cody Rhodes has done two things this year that no other wrestler can lay claim to: He beat Rey Mysterio at a top pay-per-view (WrestleMania 27), and he defeated Randy Orton in a singles match on Monday Night Raw.

That shows incredible confidence in a guy who's only won one singles title in the WWE so far.

Clearly WWE officials are behind Rhodes, and are willing to put him in big-time matches that he subsequently wins. You can't say that for many other WWE stars.

If his high-profile bouts weren't enough, we also saw Rhodes interrupt a celebration for future WWE Hall of Famer Edge during last week's episode of Friday Night Smackdown.

Hmmm. Working with Mysterio, Orton and Edge?

Sure sounds like a future star to me. 

5. The Lack of Main Event Options on SmackDown

Mark Henry, Christian, Sheamus and Randy Orton.

That's about all that SmackDown's main event scene has to offer, which is evidenced by this breakdown:

"

Henry and Christian have teamed together to take on Orton and Sheamus.

Orton has wrestled Sheamus, Henry and Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship, and feuded with them as well.

Christian and Sheamus have faced off in a No. 1 Contender's match.

Christian is currently feuding with Sheamus.

Sheamus feuded with Henry earlier this summer.

"

Yeah, that's a ton of interaction between just four guys, and it's going to have to change at some point.

The best candidate to make the jump into that group is none other than Cody Rhodes.

4. Charisma

You've heard the expression before: "He has it."

What is "it" exactly? Well, generally speaking, "it" refers to a number of different things all combined together.

The main ingredient in that formula, however, is charisma. A guy doesn't have "it" without having charisma.

Cody Rhodes has "it."

When he walks into an arena, wrestles a match or cuts a promo, people watch and people listen. He commands attention like very few superstars in professional wrestling.

Charisma is one thing a wrestler has to have (in most cases) to make it to the main event scene.

3. In-Ring Skills

Cody Rhodes hasn't put on any five-star matches yet, but with the way he performs in the ring, you have to believe he'll get there sooner or later.

His feud with Rey Mysterio featured some very good matches, he had some stellar TV bouts against Daniel Bryan earlier this year and he's held his own in main event level matches with guys like Randy Orton.

The dude can wrestle, and that's something that's often taken for granted.

Why would you put a World title on someone like The Great Khali or give Vladimir Kozlov a main event level push while letting someone like Rhodes waste away in the mid-card?

I don't know.

But I do think the great World title matches between Christian and Randy Orton (as well as John Cena and CM Punk ) have the WWE focusing more on in-ring work for its top level stars, and Rhodes would be able to put on four-star matches just like those guys. 

2. Experience at the Top

You might say that Cody Rhodes was booked like a loser/lackey as part of Legacy, but the experience he got while working with Randy Orton can't be overlooked.

Rhodes performed in a high-profile bout at WrestleMania 26 and 27, he was consistently involved in World title feuds while with Legacy, he wrestled in a tag team match against D-Generation X at SummerSlamand he's been one of the final competitors in a Royal Rumble match (2009).

If he's elevated to the main event scene, it won't be like he's never been there before. He has.

Rhodes knows what it takes to perform at a high level when the spotlight is on him, and that'll play a huge role in him working his way to the World title picture.

1. His Mic Skills

For the most part, the wrestlers who consistently appear in main event level story lines or World title feuds can talk the talk.

The Miz, John Cena and CM Punk are prime examples of guys who can work the mic and, as a result, hover at or near the top of the business.

Cody Rhodes has proven, especially in 2011, that he can hold his own when cutting promos and has inserted himself into the upper echelon of wrestling's great talkers.

He may not be quite as good as Punk, he doesn't generate as much heat as The Miz and he hasn't done it as long as Cena.

But all those things could certainly happen in due time.