From 2008-2010, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, Jr. were a part of the Legacy, the premier heel stable led by Randy Orton. After Legacy disbanded, the question remained answered: who will be the Shawn Michaels of Priceless and who will be the Marty Jannetty? And so without further delay, here are the details.
The Grandson of a Plumber debuts on RAW
When Cody Rhodes (son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes) made his debut on Monday Night RAW in July 2007, he was a babyface who briefly feuded with his eventual mentor Randy Orton. After failing to make an impression with the WWE Universe, veteran Superstar Hardcore Holly took the young Rhodes under his wing and together won the World Tag Team Championship on the 15th anniversary episode of RAW back in December 2007. For the next several months, Rhodes and Holly were unstoppable. That is, until May of 2008.
The Million Dollar Son makes his RAW debut
After successfully retaining the World Tag Titles on RAW, WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase made a surprise appearance where he introduced the newest member of the RAW roster, his son Ted DiBiase, Jr. The younger DiBiase’s goal was to be a World Tag Team Champion just like his father and for the next several weeks, DiBiase would continue to taunt Rhodes and Holly in the days leading up to the Night of Champions PPV.
Rhodes and DiBiase become a team
At the Night of Champions PPV, Rhodes turned heel after attacking Holly to align with DiBiase to become World Tag Team Champions. In the coming months, Rhodes and DiBiase would form Legacy along with Randy Orton. The Legacy (which also at one time featured Manu and Sim Snuka) would become the top heel stable in the WWE with feuds against the likes of John Cena, Batista, Cryme Tyme, DeGenderation X, and even the McMahon family.
The end of Legacy
By January 2010, things started to unravel for Legacy when Rhodes cost Orton the WWE Championship against up-and-coming Irishman Sheamus. Tensions between Legacy continued until WrestleMania 26 when Orton defeated his former proteges in a Triple Threat match. A month later, Legacy officilly broke up when Rhodes was drafted to Friday Night SmackDown in the WWE Supplemental Draft (not the TV draft).
DiBiase, Jr. becomes the new Million Dollar Man
Initially, things were looking good for DiBiase. He acquired his father’s Million Dollar Championship as well as Virgil. But in June 2010, Virgil was replaced by former Divas Champion Maryse and it all went downhill from here. The Million Dollar Couple would often lose to the likes of John Morrison, a babyface R-Truth, Santino Marella, Goldust, Natalya, Daniel Bryan, Tamina, and other midcarders. It seemed that Maryse was stealing DiBiase’s spotlight. The final blow was when DiBiase’s NXT rookie at the time Brodus Clay dumped him in favor of up-and-coming Mexican Alberto Del Rio.
On the Rhodes to victory
When Rhodes first moved to SmackDown, he appeared more often on WWE Superstars than on SmackDown. But all that changed when the WWE Divas named Rhodes WWE’s Most Handsome Superstar. As a result, Rhodes became obsessed with his appearance. He even went so far as to bring a mirror with him every time he entered the ring. “Dashing” Cody Rhodes would go on to become SmackDown’s top heels in the process. But Rhodes’ biggest break yet came in January 2011 when he got his nose broken by Rey Mysterio. The feud would continue until Mysterio was drafted to RAW back in May 2011 but not before Rhodes defeated Mysterio at WrestleMania 27. Since then, Rhodes would become one of the most hated heels in the WWE. He would taunt the WWE Universe about their looks, he would put paper bag masks over his opponents’ heads, and would win the Intercontinental Championship last August.
The future
Today, Rhodes is currently mired in a feud against his former mentor Orton while DiBiase has been lost in the shuffle. What does the future hold for Team Priceless? Only time will tell.