Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre's Forgotten Run As A WWE Tag Team, Explained
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Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre are two names who are at the very top of WWE right now. There are many similarities in their careers as well. Both of them were underutilized talents in their initial runs in WWE. Both were gone from the company for a period of time. However, they have also rebuilt themselves and are now two of the biggest names in professional wrestling today. Both are also now back in WWE and are much different from the first time they were there. However, one thing many fans might not know is that Rhodes and McIntyre did have a run in WWE as a tag team.
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The Formation Of Cody Rhodes And Drew McIntyre's Alliance
In the Fall of 2010, Rhodes and McIntyre entered new points in their WWE careers. McIntyre had lost his Intercontinental Championship to Kofi Kingston at Over The Limit and in a subsequent rematch. Following this, he left SmackDown after his work visa expired but returned shortly. He was also involved in a feud with Matt Hardy. Rhodes, after the disbanding of Legacy, the group of himself, Ted DiBiase Jr., and Randy Orton, had begun his new “Dashing” gimmick. This period in his career saw Rhodes in segments called “Grooming Tips” where he told people how to become more “dashing” like him.
On the August 20, 2010, edition of SmackDown, McIntyre was facing Christian. It was a rematch from a match a few weeks prior in which Christian had picked up the win. After both had entered the ring, Rhodes came out to join commentary. While Christian won the match, both McIntyre and Rhodes then attacked him. In addition, Hardy also came out to fight after McIntyre broke his foot. However, McIntyre and Rhodes stood tall in the end. This was the beginning of the partnership between the two.
Cody Rhodes And Drew McIntyre Became Tag Team Champions, But Quickly Lost Their Titles
Rhodes and McIntyre had quickly found success as a tag team. This resulted in them having a spot in the Tag Team Turmoil at Night of Champions 2010 for the WWE Tag Team Titles. Other teams in the match included The Usos, The Hart Dynasty, Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov, and Evan Bourne and Mark Henry. It was a gauntlet style elimination match, which saw the finals being McIntyre and Rhodes facing Bourne and Henry. In the end, Rhodes and McIntyre were crowned the new WWE Tag Team Champions, only about a month after becoming a team.
While they found championship success fast and did pick up wins, this reign did not last very long. At Bragging Rights 2010, Rhodes and McIntyre competed in a quickly thrown together title match organized by Nexus leader, Wade Barrett. Barrett chose David Otunga and John Cena, who had been forced to join the group at Hell in a Cell 2010. In a short match, Cena and Otunga won the WWE Tag Team Titles after making Rhodes tap out to the STF. As quickly as their reign had begun, their actual reign as champions ended just as fast. This was essentially the end of their time as a team.
Drew McIntyre And Cody Rhodes' Journeys To The Top Of Wrestling
Rhodes and McIntyre had varying degrees of success in their first runs with WWE. Both had been Intercontinental Champions and Rhodes had also been a successful tag team competitor. However, both would leave WWE albeit due to different circumstances. McIntyre was released in 2014, while Rhodes requested and was granted his release in 2016. They both went on to rebuild themselves outside WWE.
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For McIntyre, he competed in companies such as Impact Wrestling, ICW, Evolve, and more before being re-signed to WWE. He joined NXT, where he became NXT Champion. After moving to the main roster, he has won the RAW Tag Team Titles, the WWE Championship, and the 2020 Royal Rumble. Rhodes went on to compete in various companies as well, like ROH, Impact, NJPW, and more. He also promoted, with the Young Bucks, and competed at All In, the most successful independent wrestling show in history. This led to Rhodes taking part in founding AEW, where he is a multi-time TNT Champion. He returned to WWE in 2022 at WrestleMania 38 Night One, where he defeated Seth Rollins.
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Today, Rhodes and McIntyre are almost unrecognizable from their brief run as a team in 2010. Over ten years later, they are at the top of the wrestling world. They rebuilt themselves as top-level, main event talent. Both are former and future world champions. Maybe their paths will cross once more, but will their next encounter be as friends, or will it be as foes?
