[2013-10-06-WWE-Battleground] Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWE World Tag Champs The Shield vs The Brothers Rhodes w/Dusty Rhodes - WWE Battleground Non-Title

 

Unless he gives an even better performance on the following night, this has to be Cody's career performance. I have nothing against Cody. He is a solid worker. He is a bit bland. He is a bit mechanical. He thinks too much. On this night with teaming with his big brother for the first time, with his father in his corner and fighting for his career and the Rhodes family legacy, he let it all hang out and left it all in the ring in an awesome emotional performance. A lot of the focus of this match, I feel was given to Goldust and his incredible comeback story. I don't want to take away for that. For Goldust to comeback and be the best hot tag in wrestling and one of best workers in the world at the end of year is nothing short of miraculous. This match belonged to Cody and his urgency.

 

The match starts how it should start with the Rhodes ripshit about their treatment at the hands of The Authority and opening a can of whoop-ass on The Shield. For those not up to speed, The Authority threw their weight around and got Cody fired because he could not beat WWE Champion Randy Orton and then Dustin failed to win Cody's job back. So now they have one last shot to win their jobs back against the Tag Champs and the most dominant faction in wrestling, The Shield. Rollins actually pulls Reigns out of the ring to regroup and reset the match by challenging Dusty to a fight. This gives us that great visual of the Three Rhodeses squaring off against The Shield. The battlelines are drawn the best damn three man team in the WWE against one of the most proud wrestling families. Give Cole credit, when he pointed out the Rhodes cant let the emotions get carried away and thus get DQ'd, which really establishes the gravity of this match. However, it was that emotion that cost Cody the advantage because Rollins was able to suddenly drop him on his head into the middle turnbuckle (that move really needs a name). I love The Shield take after Mark Henry and love to lay the badmouth on their opponents during a match. Dean Ambrose was excellent with "Make his dad feel it! Make his sister feel it! Make his mother feel it!" and here come the "We Want Goldust". It is hot in Buffalo tonight! Cody moonsault! Hot tag to Goldust and he moves around better than 90% than the roster, which he is 15-20 years older than. In another shocking twist to this match, Reigns actually out-bumped Rollins in this match. He was making Goldust look like a million bucks. However, in a classic Dustin bump, he whiffs on the cross body and crashes to the outside.Wait are we in St. Paul in 1982 tonight? Because get ready for a double face in peril muthafuckas! They tease a countout loss and the Shield and the commentary team were so great at milking this. One of the best countout teases by the WWE in a long time. Rollins busts out the old Eddie splash over the ropes for two. Buffalo loves them some Goldust and I cant blame them he is kicking some ass selling for the Shield. Powerslam from Goldie and here comes Cody. Cody is a house of fire. Springboard dropkick. Spinning Alabama Slamma. MuscleBuster. He is pissed and kicking ass who is this Cody Rhodes!?!?!?!??!?! Then in the segment we were all waiting for: Dusty takes off his belt whips Ambrose and the delivers the Bionic Elbow. The crowd pops huge! Reigns looks to crush the American Dream, but Goldust tackles him outta nowhere. Cody grabs Rollins and hit CROSSRHODES! 1! 2! 3! The Rhodes family celebrates as the crowd goes wild.

 

How bitchin' was that whole affair. Proof positive that fundamental, badass pro wrestling transcends time. You noticed how there were "This is Awesome" chants that is because people were not popping for moves or the matches. They were chanting for the babyfaces who had been wronged and were getting their retribution. That is how wrestling should be. When you deliver a story people can actually sink their teeth into they wont worry about Flying Space Tiger Drops and Miracle Ecstasy Bombs they will invest themselves in the characters, their motivations, and their actions. Cody and Goldust wrestled like they were fighting for their livelihoods and the crowd returned in kind. Too often in wrestling, there is a disconnect between the story and the match, but here everyone understood their role and kicked ass. Goldust delivered a performance that is the reason he is still on the roster to this day. They highlighted Cody by giving that last hot tag spot taking us home to the finish and he delivered in spades. But wait they might have won back their jobs, but the Shield still has the Tag Titles...****1/2

[supersonic]

I don't recall the exact structure of the match since I've been churning out this rewatch since the go-home week for NOLA is next week, but this was an excellent tag match. From what I can recall, the Shield cut the ring in half as usual, in quick fashion after the Rhodes brothers had the advantage. Dean Ambrose of course would get involved, which Dusty Rhodes wasn't happy with and he took Ambrose out of the equation - no, this was not a berrial.

Preoccupied with the outside activities, Rollins found himself taken out via the Cross Rhodes. This was tremendously built, getting better as the match progressed, with the crowd in a frenzy in the finishing stretch, and popping huge to see the Rhodes family get rehired by WWE. Afterwards the babyface locker room and producers come congratulate the family. Wonderful moment and this should've closed out the PPV. ****

[SmartMark15]

Great old school style tag team match with The Shield playing brutal heels. Cody puts in one of his absolute best performances in the company by just having a strong babyface fire and passion that's lacking from his colder heel matches. Goldust is as impressive as ever, bumping like crazy for the younger guys acting as both a great hot tag and a fantastic face in peril. Loved the visual of his face paint coming off. Reigns already showing signs of greatness in this especially while trashtalking Goldust out of the ring. Incredibly hot finish that got the crowd unglued.

****

[cactus]

An old-fashioned tag team match with finish that leave you with a smile from ear to ear. The Rhodes brothers are classic babyfaces and they work two hot tags into this. The Shield get a loud pop when they enter, but when there's no dual chanting when the match is going on. Goldust has to bust out new tricks to keep up with youngsters. Dusty, in attempt to stop Dean Ambrose from interfering, takes of his belt and starts wailing. All this happens whilst Cody hits the Cross Rhodes to a monster pop. The ending is especially poignant when you know that Dusty wasn't long for the world.

★★★¾

[EnviousStupid]

I'm not sure if I have any good reason why I'm not super high on this match, since it has a lot you can appreciate and invest in, but watching it for the first time since I saw it live, I think it's just a great match with incredible parts to it. Goldust puts on an all-time hot tag like he hadn't skipped a beat. Cody has most of the shine here and for his first stint in WWE, was the most over with a live crowd that he'd ever be. Dusty hit Ambrose with his belt and a bionic elbow, which reliably got a strong ovation, and was followed with a perfect sequence of everything working out for the Rhodes family, beating the Shield and saving their jobs for the time being. Maybe the connective tissue wasn't as strong as I'd have hoped for, but matches like this are always more about the moments. For my money, they're still pretty effective nearly nine years later.