The Legacy (professional wrestling)
The Legacy | |
---|---|
Sim Snuka | |
Name(s) | The Legacy |
Debut | September 1, 2008[1] |
Disbanded | April 27, 2010 |
Years active | 2008–2010 2011 2022( one night only) |
The Legacy was a
In June 2008, Rhodes and DiBiase first formed an alliance after winning the
Concept
The concept behind the group was that each member is a multi-generational wrestler. The name of the faction, The Legacy, referred to their extensive family histories in wrestling.
The Legacy has been compared to the former WWE faction Evolution of which Orton was a member, but Rhodes and DiBiase have said that they saw the comparison as an opportunity to prove themselves and show their potential.[7]
History
Formation (2008–2009)
Cody Rhodes was a World Tag Team Champion throughout the beginning of 2008 alongside Hardcore Holly, who was acting as a mentor to him.[8] Ted DiBiase made his first WWE appearance on the May 26 episode of Raw, in which he claimed that he and a mystery partner would take the World Tag Team Championship from Rhodes and Holly.[9] At the Night of Champions pay-per-view event in June, DiBiase revealed his partner was running late and started the match without him, however Rhodes quickly betrayed Hardcore Holly by attacking him. This turned Rhodes into a villainous character and meant that he and DiBiase won the championship.[10]
In September,
When Orton was well enough to wrestle, Punk demanded a match with him, which he won via
After Sim Snuka, the son of Jimmy Snuka, also expressed interest in joining the group, Orton made them qualify through a series of tests which Manu failed the first week.[17] On the January 5 episode of Raw, Snuka and Rhodes won a tag team match against Cryme Tyme. Before the match, Orton informed them that they had to win the match in order to be part of the group. After the match, Orton explained that since Snuka did not pick up the pinfall, he was out of the group.[18] The following week, Manu and Snuka informed Rhodes that they were intending to assault Orton and had brought someone to help them do so, giving Rhodes an ultimatum to choose a side. When Rhodes refused to side with them, Manu and Snuka brought out a returning Ted DiBiase to aid them, and tried to assault Orton with Rhodes seemingly ready to attack Orton as well, Instead DiBiase joined The Legacy, attacking Manu and Snuka, and forgiving Orton for attacking him.[1]
Championship reigns (2009–2010)
With The Legacy finally formed, Manu and Snuka still wanted revenge on Orton. Fearing they would try to convince Raw general manager Stephanie McMahon to fire him, Orton went to speak to her himself but their conversation ended in an argument. When Vince McMahon, Stephanie's father, made his return that night Orton maintained he was owed an apology. His brashness angered McMahon who responded by trying to fire Orton, but before he could finish his sentence Orton slapped McMahon and gave him a running punt which left him hospitalized in the storyline.[19] During the 30-man Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble the group worked as a team, making them three of the last four contestants in the ring with Triple H as the other. Ultimately, in throwing out Rhodes and DiBiase, Triple H was distracted enough to allow Orton to throw him over the top rope and win the match.[20] The next evening on Raw, The Legacy came to the ring accompanied by lawyers and doctors, with Orton explaining his outburst against McMahon was a result of intermittent explosive disorder (IED) and threatened to sue the company and cancel WrestleMania 25 if he was fired, as winning the Royal Rumble match guaranteed him a championship match at WrestleMania. Instead he was booked for a no holds barred match with Vince's son, Shane, at No Way Out in February, which Orton won.[21][22] The night after No Way Out, they fought again in an unsanctioned match until Orton punted Shane unconscious. Stephanie McMahon came to the ring to oversee her brother being carried away by the paramedics and shouted at Orton until he performed an RKO, his finishing move, to her. Triple H ran to the ring and chased away the group, standing over the body of Stephanie McMahon. The next week, Orton and The Legacy attacked Triple H, when Stephanie came out to stop The Legacy, Orton attacked and made out with her before hitting Triple H with a sledgehammer.[23]
In an interview on SmackDown that week, Triple H revealed his real life marriage to Stephanie (even though they had divorced on-screen in 2002 prior to their actual marriage).[24] Originally, Orton announced he did not have intentions of facing Triple H, who at the time was the WWE Champion, but instead planned to face the World Heavyweight Champion. Triple H, however, goaded Orton into "avenging" his first World Championship loss and ousting from their previous stable, Evolution, and Orton changed his mind, leading to their match being booked for WrestleMania.[25] Orton revealed that he had targeted the McMahon family in order to avenge his unceremonious departure from Evolution in 2004. Due to the intensity of the rivalry, the decision was made that the WWE Championship could change hands at WrestleMania due to a countout or disqualification; despite this, Triple H won the match after hitting Orton with a sledgehammer while the referee was knocked down.[26]
The night after WrestleMania, Orton demanded a rematch, threatening
Batista was left on his own as a result of The Legacy attacking Shane McMahon, but continued to challenge Orton for the WWE Championship. Orton and Batista had a match at Judgment Day, but it ended with Orton intentionally slapping the referee to cause a disqualification, which meant that the championship did not change hands.[30] In their rematch, however, which was held inside a steel cage at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, Batista won the championship.[31]
The following night on Raw, during Batista's celebratory speech, The Legacy attacked Batista, and injured him in storyline. This storyline was used to cover a real injury Batista had sustained.[32] Orton's rematch that night, intended to be used despite Batista's absence,[33] The following week, a match was held to determine the new WWE Champion between Orton, Triple H, John Cena and Big Show, which Orton won.[34] At The Bash pay-per-view, signs of dissention between DiBiase and Orton appeared when DiBiase argued with Orton backstage. Despite this, DiBiase and Rhodes both helped Orton retain his WWE Championship later that night against Triple H.[35] This tension was later expanded upon when DiBiase's father booked Orton and DiBiase in a match on Raw while he was in charge; Orton won the match but the team showed solidarity later in the same evening by interfering in a WWE Championship contender match between Triple H and Cena, leading to it being ruled a no contest. This made the subsequent match at Night of Champions a triple threat contest.[36] Similar tensions arose briefly in the group late in August when Rhodes' father, Dusty, booked Orton and Rhodes in a match on Raw. It quickly turned out to be a ruse with Dusty's intention to allow The Legacy to attack Cena, who was special guest referee. Despite the four standing tall together, Orton quickly gave an RKO to Dusty which angered Rhodes though he would fall in line.[37]
After Orton retained the championship in July's Night of Champions, the team worked together again to prevent Triple H from receiving a rematch against Orton by slowing his
Kingston won a return match against
Cracks and dissolution (2010)
On the January 11, 2010 episode of Raw, guest host Mike Tyson announced that the winner of a triple threat match later that night between Orton, Kingston, and John Cena would challenge Sheamus for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. Orton ultimately won with the help of The Legacy, who attacked Cena and Kingston.[51] At the Royal Rumble, Orton failed to win the championship when he was disqualified when Rhodes tried to interfere. After the match, Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase, who attempted to aid Rhodes.[52] On the February 15 episode of Raw, Orton took on Sheamus in a non-title rematch, but was again disqualified after Rhodes and DiBiase interfered.[53] During the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, in which both Orton and DiBiase participated, Rhodes passed a pipe to DiBiase. DiBiase hit Orton with it, and eliminated him.[54]
The next night on Raw, The Legacy participated in a six-man tag team match against Kingston, Yoshi Tatsu, and Evan Bourne, designed to show their unity, but Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase[55] and the following week on Raw, Rhodes and DiBiase attacked Orton in retaliation, although Orton was able to fight them off.[56] Orton's split from the group was cemented when he lost a handicap match against both Rhodes and DiBiase on Raw and showed increasing signs of becoming a fan favorite.[57] This led to a Triple Threat Match between all three members at WrestleMania XXVI, where Rhodes and DiBiase proclaimed neither minded not winning so long as Orton was pinned, but in the match Orton pinned DiBiase. DiBiase and Rhodes attacked each other during the match, ending the duo, and Rhodes was punted by Orton and taken out of action for approximately a month.[58] The split was confirmed when Rhodes moved to SmackDown brand during the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft.[59]
Brief reunions (2011–present)
Cody Rhodes reformed his alliance with Ted DiBiase on the May 20 episode of SmackDown, and the duo went on to feud with Sin Cara and Daniel Bryan.[60][61][62] In August, Rhodes attacked DiBiase after DiBiase lost a match to Orton, ending their alliance.[63] On the September 16 episode of SmackDown, DiBiase disguised himself as a member of the audience by wearing a paper bag – part of Rhodes's gimmick – to allow him to attack Rhodes.[64] This led to DiBiase unsuccessfully challenging Rhodes for Rhodes's Intercontinental Championship at Night of Champions.[65] Rhodes and Orton spent much of the latter part of 2011 feuding with each other.[66][67][68] Following his match with Rhodes, DiBiase introduced a new gimmick in 2011; known as the "DiBiase Posse", DiBiase held tailgating parties with fans prior to the start of WWE events.[69][70] In August 2013, DiBiase announced his departure from WWE after opting not to re-sign.[71] On May 21, 2016, Rhodes revealed on Twitter that he had requested his release from WWE,[72] which was officially granted the following day.[73] Rhodes cited frustrations with WWE's creative department and his position within the company as the reasons for requesting his release.[74][75][76][77]
Championships and accomplishments
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Championship (3 times) – Randy Orton[28]
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time) – Cody Rhodes
- World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase
- Royal Rumble (2009) – Randy Orton[20]
References
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- ^ Matsumoto, Jon (June 25, 2009). "WWE: Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton wrestle at HP Pavilion Monday". Mercury News. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
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- ^ Robinson, Jon (April 13, 2009). "Rhodes: Link to the Past". ESPN. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
- ^ "Ted DiBiase and Rhodes interview talking Orton, WWE and more". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
- World Wrestling Entertainment. December 10, 2007. Archived from the originalon December 27, 2007. Retrieved March 6, 2009.
- World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved April 29, 2009.
- ^ "Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes def. World Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes (World Tag Team Championship Match)". World Wrestling Entertainment. June 29, 2008. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
- ^ World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
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- ^ Csonka, Larry (November 18, 2008). "Major News on the Future of Ted DiBiase". 411mania. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
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- ^ Adkins, Greg (October 26, 2009). "The fast & the spurious". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
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- ^ Keller, Wade (November 22, 2009). "WWE Survivor Series Report 11/22: Batista vs. Rey Mysterio, Cena vs. Hunter vs. Michaels, Undertaker vs. Big Show vs. Jericho – Ongoing Live Results & Analysis". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
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- ^ Caldwell, James (December 13, 2009). "WWE TLC PPV Report 12/13: Complete PPV report on Cena vs. Sheamus, DX vs. JeriShow, Taker vs. Batista". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
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- ^ Powers, Kevin (March 28, 2010). "Results: RK-Owning his legacy". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
- ^ "2010 WWE Supplemental Draft results". World Wrestling Entertainment. April 27, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
- ^ Cupach, Mike (May 22, 2011). "Cupach's SmackDown report 5/20: Alt. perspective review of final PPV hype, Mike's Reax on overall show". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
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- ^ "Video – DiBiase says he's done with rich gimmick, what is his new pre-WWE show idea?". Pro Wrestling Torch. September 23, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
- ^ Parks, Greg (November 4, 2011). "Parks' WWE SmackDown Report 11/4: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Randy Orton vs. Rhodes in a Street Fight". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
Mathews talked about the "DiBiase Posse," wherein DiBiase gets together with fans to tailgate before WWE live events.
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- ^ Hyrule Husky [@PrinceCGR] (May 21, 2016). "(1/2) The past ten years have been quite the trek, but as of earlier today I have asked for my release from @WWE" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Cody Rhodes released". WWE. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
- ^ Rhodes, Cody. "My one&only statement on the matter. No podcasts or tell-all nonsense. Thank you friends. (Part 1)". Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- ^ Rhodes, Cody. "My one&only statement on the matter. No podcasts or tell-all nonsense. Thank you friends. (Part 2)". Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- ^ Caldwell, James (May 23, 2016). "Cody Rhodes Statement on WWE exit – why he left, the Moment of Clarity, broken Creative system, last conversation with Triple H, honoring Dusty, what's next?". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- ^ "Cody Rhodes addresses his departure from WWE and his future". prowrestling.net. May 23, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
External links
- Randy Orton's WWE profile
- Cody Rhodes's WWE profile
- Ted DiBiase's WWE profile
- The Legacy's profile at Cagematch.net