AEW Executive Vice President Cody has filed a trademark claim to regain his Rhodes surname.
Cody left the WWE in 2016 and has not been able to wrestle under the Cody Rhodes name since. He believes the WWE would not oppose him if he started to use it again. However, the point remains the same that he doesn’t own that name.
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The good news is that WWE’s trademark of the name expired on October 13, 2019 and after the six-month grace period WWE still had not renewed the trademark. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), on April 13 he applied for the trademark of the Cody Rhodes name.
Here is what the trademark entails and how Cody intends to use it.
“IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: Bandanas; Hats; Hooded sweatshirts; Jackets and socks; Pants; Shirts; Sweatshirts”
“IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainment personality; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Providing online interviews featuring a professional wrestler and sports entertainer in the field of professional wrestling and sports entertainment for entertainment purposes”
The Rhodes Name And Its Legacy
The superstar has been able to be successful under the name Cody and no wrestling fans are confused as to who this “Cody” guy is. Many wrestlers would want to use their WWE name to increase awareness of themselves on the indie circuit or bring more fans to the show they are wrestling on. However, Cody doesn’t need to do this.
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Cody is the executive vice president of his own wrestling promotion, AEW, so he isn’t having trouble getting booked. The name Rhodes is important to him because of the family heritage behind it. His legendary brother Goldust, aka Dustin Rhodes, uses the surname but more importantly their father Dusty Rhodes is why the name is important. Dusty is one of the greatest babyfaces of all-time. Keeping the name and becoming Cody Rhodes once more keeps that legacy alive.
It May Be A While Before Cody Learns If He Can Go By Rhodes Again
This seems like a no brainer for Cody to get the trademark, but anything can happen in wrestling and WWE has a lot of power and money at their disposal. If they wanted to make this difficult they could I’m sure. However, I don’t believe there is any bad blood between Cody and WWE.
Based on the data the USPTO has on Dustin Rhodes’ trademarks, the process from application to registration of the trademark takes about seven months. It looks like we won’t be seeing the name Cody Rhodes for a while.
What do you think of Cody trademarking Cody Rhodes? Do you think he should go by just Cody to try to distance himself from his brother and father? Let us know in the comments and on social media.
Sources: Cultaholic
