Professional wrestler and AEW co-founder Cody (full real name Cody Runnels) has officially filed a trademark to reclaim the name Cody Rhodes, which he wrestled under during his time with WWE.
The son of legendary wrestler Dusty Rhodes (real name Virgil Runnels) and younger half-brother of Dustin Rhodes (real name Dustin Runnels, also known as Goldust in WWE), Cody Runnels debuted on WWE's main roster as Cody Rhodes in 2007. However, whereas Dusty and Dustin used those names long before taking jobs in Stamford, the "Cody Rhodes" name has long been the intellectual property of World Wrestling Entertainment -- at least as far as American television is concerned -- with the company filing a 10-year trademark for the name on Oct. 13, 2009.
WWE's trademark expired on Oct. 13, 2019 -- with the six-month grace period to refile expiring just over a week ago on April 13. Per Heel by Nature, April 13 is the same day Runnels filed his own trademark to get the name back. The wrestler filed with attorney Michael Dockins, who is often enlisted by wrestlers to deal with such matters. Notably, on Oct. 13, WWE was sent correspondence explaining its trademark on the name had expired and informing the company of the grace period. WWE evidently decided not to refile.
Runnels left WWE in 2016 to pursue a career on the independent circuit. Since then, he has simply gone by "Cody," only using the Rhodes name for untelevised events. The wrestler has spoken on the legality of using the Rhodes name on several occasions since then. "I'll tell you this, and I've not told anyone this, but I don't mind that WWE took away my last name," Runnels told Sports Illustrated in 2017. "Deep down, in my bones, I definitely want it back, and I have plans to get it back, but there is something to being Cody. The longer I don't have a last name, the more I'm okay with it. That's not to say WWE is holding it ransom. It's literally an intellectual property law that easily can be remedied, but there is something about being Cody that I don't mind."
In 2018, Runnels went on record saying that he actually could use the Cody Rhodes name if he wanted, but chose not to. "I can use it whenever," he wrote on Twitter. "I will not be using it any time in the foreseeable future though... whether that's [with Ring of Honor], WWE, [New Japan Pro-Wrestling], anywhere." He continued, "Nobody is keeping me from using my last name. There's no evil plot."
Be that as it may, filing his trademark on the very same day WWE's expired definitely seems like a deliberate move on Runnels' part. So, depending on when the trademark goes through, don't be surprised if you finally hear him being announced as "Cody Rhodes" on an episode of AEW Dynamite in the near future.