news

What Is Cody Rhodes Real Name What Is Cody Rhodes Real Name?

Published: 2025-04-02 17:42:32 5 min read
What Is Cody Rhodes Real Name?

In the world of professional wrestling, personas are as fluid as the storylines that captivate audiences.

Few names have sparked as much intrigue as Cody Rhodes a second-generation wrestler who has evolved from a WWE mid-carder to an industry revolutionary.

Yet, beneath the polished veneer of his wrestling persona lies a simple but persistent question: While the answer may seem straightforward, the complexities of wrestling’s blurred lines between reality and performance demand deeper scrutiny.

Though publicly documented as Cody Garrett Runnels, the wrestler’s legal name is often overshadowed by his stage identity, raising broader questions about authenticity, branding, and the commodification of identity in professional wrestling.

According to official records, Cody Rhodes was born on June 30, 1985, in Marietta, Georgia.

His father, the legendary American Dream Dusty Rhodes (real name: Virgil Runnels Jr.

), and his half-brother, Dustin Rhodes (real name: Dustin Patrick Runnels), both adopted ring names that diverged from their legal identities.

This tradition continued with Cody, who initially performed under his birth name in early independent circuits before adopting Rhodes as his WWE moniker in 2007.

Public documents, including his 2013 marriage license to Brandi Rhodes (née Reed), confirm his legal name as.

Yet, wrestling promotions, media outlets, and even Rhodes himself have reinforced Cody Rhodes as his primary identity.

This duality is not uncommon in wrestling Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea), The Undertaker (Mark Calaway), and Sting (Steve Borden) all operate under stage names that eclipse their legal identities.

1.

- Wrestling thrives on larger-than-life characters, and Cody Rhodes carries more weight than Cody Runnels.

The surname Rhodes is intrinsically tied to his father’s legacy, granting him immediate credibility.

- Scholar (, 1998) argues that wrestling personas are performative constructs designed to maximize emotional engagement.

The name Rhodes is a strategic tool, not just a tribute.

2.

- When Rhodes left WWE in 2016, the company attempted to trademark Cody Rhodes, forcing him to briefly perform as Cody in other promotions.

This legal battle underscores the tension between personal identity and corporate ownership in wrestling.

- As noted by (, 2013), WWE’s aggressive trademarking of wrestlers’ names reflects the industry’s commodification of identity.

3.

- Some fans insist on referring to him as Runnels, arguing that acknowledging his real name respects his humanity beyond the spectacle.

Others see Rhodes as his true identity, given its decades-long association.

Cody Says He’s Now Able to Use the Name “Cody Rhodes” Again – TPWW

- This debate mirrors broader cultural discussions about celebrity identities where does the character end and the person begin? Academic research on wrestling personas highlights how stage names function as narrative shortcuts (,, 1992).

For Cody, Rhodes is more than a name it’s a storytelling device that connects him to his father’s mythos while allowing him to craft his own legacy.

However, critics like (, 1957) might argue that the wrestling industry’s reliance on pseudonyms perpetuates a mythic reality where fiction supersedes fact.

In Cody’s case, the line is especially thin his real-life struggles (such as his WWE departure and AEW founding) are often framed within his on-screen narrative.

The question of Cody Rhodes’ real name is more than trivia it’s a microcosm of wrestling’s complex relationship with identity.

While legal documents confirm he is Cody Runnels, the wrestling world (and perhaps even Cody himself) has fully embraced Rhodes as his authentic self.

This duality speaks to the broader tension between reality and performance in entertainment, where a name can be both a personal truth and a corporate commodity.

Ultimately, whether fans call him Runnels or Rhodes, the power of his legacy remains unchanged.

But the debate itself reveals an uncomfortable truth: in professional wrestling, the most compelling characters are often those who make us question where the performer ends and the person begins.

- Mazer, S.

(1998).

- Shoemaker, D.

(2013).

- Jenkins, H.

(1992).

- Barthes, R.

(1957)