The year of 2013 produced some great content for the wrestling world. It had a peak Daniel Bryan going off, CM Punk was still seeking revenge and the McMahon abuse of power was at an all-time high. Then, out of what seemed like nothing came along a program with such emotion and story-telling that the short feud became something modern wrestling fans didn’t know they needed – a rivalry not built on a title as the ultimate goal. Stand-up Rhodes Family and The Shield.
Sure we had seen non-title feuds be great before, but the realism and exceptional use of kayfabe took this feud to another level. Looking back now though when thinking of The Shield especially, the rivalry with the Rhodes family doesn’t sit very high in the memories of the group by the fans. We all loved the Wyatt’s and Evolution going up against the might of the Hounds of Justice, and we all cried when Seth Rollins became ‘Plan B’ but the use of Cody and Goldust with Dusty Rhodes in their corner was a masterstroke.
Going into the 2013 Battleground PPV event, Triple H had triggered the saga by kayfabe firing Cody for insubordination a month prior. He pitted Cody against Randy Orton in a match on Raw that if Cody lost he would remain fired from the company. The re-emerging Goldust then had the same stipulation placed on him the following week as he fought to win back his brothers honour and job status. It seemed likely that the ‘Bizarre One’ would win this match, but, he eventually fell, just as Cody had before him to Orton – The 2013 face of the company.
On the third week of the saga, McMahon himself ordered Big Show to knock out Hall of Fame legend Dusty Rhodes who had also joined into the fray to help fight for his son’s respect and honour. Dusty, who in 2013 was an NXT Trainer and was well entrenched in the company’s going-ons at the time, was an integral part of the rivalry to spark something that felt bigger than just the scheduled weekly programming.
Entering the 4th week of the conflict, this is where The Shield stepped in. Acting as heel’s at the time, The Shield were mercenary symbols of the McMahon’s power and did the bidding of the companies owners. With both Cody fired it was only natural storytelling that he would make an appearance on Raw. Alas, he, his brother and father did, after being invited to the show by Triple H to be given an ultimatum. The Shield then sneak attacked the Rhodes’ after an extraordinary promo that had the crowd in attendance at their feet, thus setting the scene for a Battleground PPV match that was later confirmed that night.
Now, this is where I love being a wrestling fan. Getting a solid story that has been thought out and patiently driven to its climax despite being a short time-frame. Each week’s scenario had so much depth and it made that the payoff would be huge.
The Battleground match was given the stipulation of if the Rhodes Family loses, all members were fired from the company and banned from all events forever – including Dusty, who would lose his NXT trainer roles. Stipulations like this have been used in previous feuds in the past. Team Alliance butted heads with Team WWF in 2001 for control of the company, Cactus Jack faced forced retirement when facing Triple H in 2000 and Ric Flair v Shawn Michaels at Mania 24 saw The Nature Boy retired by Mr Wresltemania himself. But this story had a different feel to it. Cody was looking like a main-eventer in the making, Goldust was having a renaissance of form and Dusty was tenacious as ever at ringside. The match just ‘meant’ something and it pulled at our heart strings as the men were fighting for their family legacy and their livelihoods. It showed us that the prize of victory doesn’t always have to be draped in gold, other things can have just as much if not more meaning.
Going into the Battleground PPV, it seemed like a simple situation to the knowledgeable fan – The Rhodes Family would win the bout, but with every two count the Shield got it brought back memories of Flair and Michaels at Mania as the truth of that match can to fruition – that being we would be seeing a retirement shortly. However, thankfully this wasn’t the case. The wrestlers involved contrasted each and worked exceptionally fluently together. The in ring story-telling by the veteran Goldust was superb. He was in great physical shape and showed he still could keep up with the best young talent the company had to offer.
The match itself wasn’t the classic mat-wrestling spectacle that fans may crave, but the infusion of raw emotion and the full investment of every character involved made up for a lack of technical grappling - and that is what ensued. You simply had two brothers fighting for something and I mean really fighting for something. They were both All In, a phrase that Cody would make famous in later years. Paired this with a reciprocated feeling from both Rollins and Reigns. The palpable emotion fuelled the entirety of the match from start to finish. Despite only lasting a touch under 14 minutes, there were a series of carefully, well thought out spots, pulled off at perfect times that elicited reactions in the crowd of – this is just a family standing up against the machine so they can continue to do the job they love.
No less than 2 minutes into the match we had The Shield stare down Dusty, only for the American Dream to pull his belt off – something he had made a staple of his character in the past. Ambrose talking trash the whole match from the floor was superb. Dusty rolling up his sleeves looking ready for a fight. Cody fighting out of a tree of woe, to perform a moon-sault and a get the hot tag. The almost count out loss for Goldust. Cody hitting the Alabama Slam and a Muscle Buster with Rollins selling them like a God. And spot of the night, with Dean Ambrose riling up Dusty, only for Ambrose to take the final Bionic Elbow ever was marvellous. And that finish, the almost roll-up by Rollins on Cody only for him to kick-out and hit maybe the best Cross Rhodes ever delivered for the pinfall win on Rollins. Magic, just magic.
In final, looking back, this hasn’t been a program in the history of The Shield that is showcased as one of their greats. As mentioned earlier we always talk about the Wyatt’s and Evolution in the same sentence as The Shield. This short gem of a rivalry is something that seemingly has been hidden in plain sight. It not only showed what The Shield can do as workers but what all members of the Rhodes Family can do as well. It’s a shame the WWE was never able to capture this potential of Cody, but the formation of AEW gives fans the formative grounds that this thrilling content can be produced again.
The Rhodes Family was fully re-instated to the company and stood tall at the end of the night, victorious and unified as a family and with the rest of the WWE Universe. Applause to all parties involved - you made a mediocre, gimmick named PPV in October of 2013 something special.
