Cody Rhodes' role at the Survivor Series event over the years hasn't always been too prominent, with him mostly taking part in multi-man matches. However, some of these matches did well to showcase his quality and potential in WWE, so it is nice to go back and look at his history at the iconic event.
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TheSportster's rating system will determine the best match of Cody Rhodes' career at Survivor Series, his absolute worst, and everything else in between them too. These match ratings will also be compared to those from Cagematch.Net and Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
To learn more about how we rank wrestling matches on TheSportster, please check out our match ranking criteria guide here
8 Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly Vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch (WWE Survivor Series 2007)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 5.75/10
Storytelling
1.25/2.5
Technical Ability
1.5/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
1.5/2.5
Crowd Reaction
1.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 1.5 Stars Cagematch.net Rating: 5.15
Cody Rhodes' very first match at Survivor Series also happened to be his worst. As still a pretty green rookie, Rhodes teamed up with mentor Hardcore Holly to challenge Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch for tag team gold. This was a pretty short and unimpressive match, following a generic tag team formula and doing nothing to stand out in any aspect. Rhodes' hot tag wasn't bad, but his inexperience was clear and obvious to see during this bout. If you've seen a generic tag team match then you've seen it a thousand times, and this one didn't vary from all the overdone tropes and structure.
7 Team Mysterio Vs. Team Del Rio (WWE Survivor Series 2010)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.75/10
Storytelling
1.25/2.5
Technical Ability
2/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
1.75/2.5
Crowd Reaction
1.75/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.25 Stars Cagematch.net Rating: 5.64
There was very little meaning attached to this match heading into Survivor Series 2010, with some minor midcard feuds all coming together as Rey Mysterio led a team which included MVP, Chris Masters, Kofi Kingston and Big Show to take on Alberto Del Rio, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Tyler Reks and Drew McIntyre.. The in-ring work made up for the lack of storytelling with fast paced action and several near-falls which worked well. Del Rio's count out elimination was lazily done, when he should have instead been strongly booked, so this took away from the match a little.
6 Team Orton Vs. Team Batista (WWE Survivor Series 2008)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7/10
Storytelling
1.5/2.5
Technical Ability
2/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
1.75/2.5
Crowd Reaction
1.75/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.25 Stars Cagematch.net Rating: 6.81
This match had a decent level of star power as the feud between Randy Orton and Batista took center stage. Providing a good structure and fluid action. Orton's team included Cody Rhodes, Mark Henry, Shelton Benjamin and William Regal, and Batista had CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy and R-Truth on his side. Some of the eliminations were rushed, such as William Regal being taken out within seconds. Orton showcased very good character work, the exchanges between CM Punk & Cody Rhodes were great in particular, but the match didn't have anything to take to the next level.
5 Stardust & Goldust Vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow Vs. Lot Matadors Vs. The Usos (WWE Survivor Series 2014)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7/10
Storytelling
1.5/2.5
Technical Ability
1.5/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2/2.5
Crowd Reaction
2/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 2.75 Stars Cagematch.net Rating: 6.80
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Cody Rhodes was playing the Stardust character when he competed at Survivor Series 2014, defending the WWE Tag Team Championships alongside his brother Goldust against a line-up of other teams on the roster. Damien Sandow was the star of the match here, stealing the show with his infectious character work and ensuring the audience were invested. The in-ring work wasn't anything too special despite the number of teams and the potential for chaos, with a fairly standard pace.
4 Team Barrett Vs. Team Orton (WWE Survivor Series 2011)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.25/10
Storytelling
1.75/2.5
Technical Ability
2/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
1.75/2.5
Crowd Reaction
1.75/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 2.75 Stars Cagematch.net Rating: 6.68
One of Cody Rhodes' best individual Survivor Series performances came in 2011 when he teamed with Wade Barrett, Dolph Ziggler, Hunico and Jack Swagger to take on Randy Orton, Mason Ryan, Kofi Kingston, Sin Cara and Sheamus. Rhodes looked great here, looking like a future star with strong technical work and psychology - something shown off by Barrett too. Some of the star power was lacking and there were some disjointed and awkward moments, including Sin Cara's injury, but ultimately it was a solid match that put over the young heels.
3 Team Orton Vs. Team Kingston (WWE Survivor Series 2009)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.5/10
Storytelling
1.75/2.5
Technical Ability
2/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2/2.5
Crowd Reaction
1.75/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.25 Stars Cagematch.net Rating: 7.64
This was a fun Survivor Series elimination match which featured a whole host of very talented individuals as Team Orton (Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, William Regal and CM Punk) battled Team Kingston (Kofi Kingston, Christian, R-Truth, Mark Henry and MVP).
There was strong chemistry between all those involved, especially Orton and Christian. The final portion of the match was particularly entertaining, as Kingston overcame the odds to beat both Orton and Punk in the final stages. Some of the heat segments were a little prolonged, but for the most part this was an effective match in putting Kingston over.
2 The Rhodes Brothers, Rey Mysterio & The Usos Vs. The Shield & Real Americans (WWE Survivor Series 2013)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8/10
Storytelling
1.75/2.5
Technical Ability
2.25/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
1.75/2.5
Crowd Reaction
2.25/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.5 Stars Cagematch.net Rating: 7.04
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Roman Reigns ran the show in this match, dominating the opposition and looking like an absolute star as he eliminated most of the field, overcoming the odds despite his heel role. The rest of the match leading up to Reigns' performance was well executed, though it did lack in terms of storytelling here and there. One of the key factors in the success of this match was that every elimination felt important and meaningful, adding to the overall quality.
1 Team Cody Vs. The Judgment Day & Drew McIntyre (WWE Survivor Series 2023)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.25/10
Storytelling
1.75/2.5
Technical Ability
2.25/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2/2.5
Crowd Reaction
2.25/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.75 Stars Cagematch.net Rating: 8.19
Cody Rhodes' best match at Survivor Series came in 2023 when he led a team of Jey Uso, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins to take on The Judgment Day and Drew McIntyre. Although it was not a chaotic and bloody affair like classic War Games matches of the past, the in-ring work was all perfectly executed and those involved told a great story, with interweaving plots, interesting allegiances, solid intensity, and some memorable moments including Randy Orton's major return to the ring.