With his victory at Night of Champions, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes has joined a very exclusive club in professional wrestling history. As highlighted by Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, Rhodes is now one of only three men to have held the prestigious NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship and also win the WWE King of the Ring tournament.
The other two men to have accomplished this rare feat are WWE Hall of Famers “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock and “The King” Harley Race.
Rhodes won the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship from Nick Aldis at the All In event in September 2018, a show he co-promoted before the official launch of AEW. Now, nearly seven years later, he has added the King of the Ring crown to his list of accolades by defeating Randy Orton at Night of Champions.
The historic accomplishment adds another layer to Rhodes’ already storied career as he now sets his sights on a World Championship match at SummerSlam.
Cody Rhodes joins Ken Shamrock and Harley Race as the only men to hold the NWA Worlds Championship and become King of the Ring
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) June 28, 2025
