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Cody Rhodes Credits WWE Legend For Creative Title Change Idea

By John Canton • Published 25th November 2024
Cody Rhodes with Undisputed WWE Championship belt on his shoulder

Cody Rhodes is grateful that he got to work with a future WWE Hall of Famer early in his career.

Paul Wight has been an AEW guy for the last five years, but for many pro wrestling fans, he will always be known as WWE legend the Big Show or if you want to go further back than that, The Giant in WCW.

After spending nearly 30 years in the pro wrestling business, Wight impacted a lot of pro wrestlers along the way, including the current WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

While Cody Rhodes is at the top of the mountain as the WWE Champion, he is also a two-time Intercontinental Champion. At WrestleMania 28 in 2012, Big Show ended Cody’s 233-day reign as the champion.

The Cody Rhodes-Big Show rematch at Extreme Rules 2012 was a Tables Match. That stipulation made it seem like Cody was at a disadvantage against a giant, but it ended up working out well because Big Show was standing on the apron, right above a table that was set up on the floor. That’s when Cody hit a dropkick and Show’s right leg went through the table. The ref saw it and Show lost the match because he went through the table. It was a fluky table spot to give Cody the Intercontinental Title back.

Cody Rhodes Credits Big Show For Innovative Match Finish

During a recent interview with Adrian Hernandez, Cody Rhodes recalled how they came up with the match finish while also praising Big Show.

“It’s fun to pull back the curtain on this one now because I do think this person deserves credit for it and didn’t get any ’cause so many people thought, ‘Oh, maybe that wasn’t supposed to happen’ — the Big Show.

Big Show was so influential in my career and doesn’t even realize it because I was going through it when I was going up against him and, man, I’m lucky to have had that experience with him.

That was his idea, Michael Hayes was right there to say, ‘Yep, let’s do it,’ and it ended up being a very fun moment.”

As for his more immediate future, WWE announced that Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against his former friend Kevin Owens at the Saturday Night’s Main Event special on December 14th in Long Island, New York. It will air on NBC.