Back in the days of the Legacy – Randy Orton’s “sons of famous guys” stable – Cody Rhodes always kind of felt like an afterthought. Orton was the focus obviously, DiBiase was the big, hunky future star, and Rhodes was the smaller guy with a lisp who hung out with them. So, it’s been shocking, exciting and delightful to watch Rhodes develop into one of WWE’s most consistently entertaining heels. Even after losing his awesome clear-face-mask gimmick, Rhodes has continued to be a credible and devious Intercontinental Champion.

While Rhodes’ finisher and signature moves might not be the most memorable in WWE, his handle on the psychology of wrestling more than makes up for it. It’s clear to see that Cody is his father’s son the way he puts on consistently entertaining matches with pretty much anyone he squares off against. And when he steps into the ring with Big Show at ‘WrestleMania XXVIII,’ I expect that run of good matches to continue unabated.

Show is rightfully recognized as one of the best big men in history, knowing when and how to use his size to his advantage, so it’ll be fascinating to watch him and Rhodes adapt to one another’s styles. If you liked Show’s incredible series of matches against Daniel Bryan, you can probably expect something similar this coming Sunday, as Rhodes uses every dirty trick in the book to take out his more powerful opponent.

Even the build to this match has been fantastic, with Rhodes tormenting Big Show with his series of “Embarassing ‘WrestleMania’ Moments.” Best of all, WWE has been really smart about keeping Big Show from putting his hands on Rhodes. We’ve watched the smaller wrestler torment his opponent, attack him, cost him matches and even handcuff him to the ring-ropes, but we’ve yet to see Big Show well and truly retaliate, which is what we’ll all be buying a ticket for come Sunday.

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