If you’re like me, you spend many, many
hours a week watching wrestling, thinking about wrestling, and making connections between wrestling and other parts of your life. And, if you’re like me, some days it’s easier to turn it off than others. Putting a Figure 4 on one of my 7th-grade classmates in 2001 or hitting a Stunner on one of my high school golf teammates (yes, golf!) in 2004 were not those days.This weekend, a few hours after a trip to the movies with my two young daughters, I made a wrestling
connection to something I never would’ve expected (although there is a very obvious reason why!). As I processed the movie I had just seen and wondered who it was that was cutting onions in the theater, I started thinking about the evolution of the main character, a certain cartoon sheriff whose career longevity is rivaled in wrestling only by legends like The Undertaker, Sting, Rey Mysterio, and Terry Funk.
Woody of Toy Story has been one of the most beloved movie characters since his Hollywood debut in 1995. The 5th installment of the legendary movie franchise hit theaters everywhere this week, and out of respect for those who haven’t seen it yet but plan to, I won’t go full Paul E. and spoil what happens. What I will do, though, is draw some parallels between Sheriff Woody’s evolution and some high-profile WWE character arcs from the last 15 years. If you’ve got better Woody comparisons or other Toy Story characters remind you of wrestling storylines, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
Toy Story – Woody is 2011 John Cena
Like John Cena before #LOLCENAWINS became a thing, Woody was the cat’s pajamas until Buzz Lightyear showed up in the original Toy Story movie. Not only did Woody’s human, Andy, want to play with Buzz more, but all of the other toys were enamored with the charismatic, yet originally delusional, space ranger as well. Woody’s shattered ego leads him to accidentally knock Buzz out the window, sending them both into the clutches of psychotic neighbor boy, Sid Phillips. The two toys are forced to work together to get back home, but Buzz isn’t initially motivated to do so. At a memorable point in the movie, after Buzz’s arm has come off, Woody uses it and his powers of ventriloquy to convince the other toys to help them. When they eventually make it home safely, they seem to have developed a mutual respect that will lead to a friendship.
Like Woody in 1995, the Summer of Punk in 2011 was one of the first times during his run that anybody was as over with the crowd as John Cena was. Punk’s infamous Pipe Bomb remains one of the most memorable promos in WWE history and signified a changing of the guard in the company. Punk’s disdain for what Cena represented and his vision of what a top star should look like mirrored Buzz Lightyear’s initial resistance to being viewed as “just a toy”. Cena, for his part, would later recognize and acknowledge that one of his fiercest rivals was every bit the star he claimed to be. The two would even hug in the middle of the ring at Elimination Chamber last February, signaling to the audience the mutual respect they had built for each other, even though it took over a decade for us to see it (similar to the time between the original Toy Story and the sequel).
Toy Story 2 – Woody is 2022 Sami Zayn
In Toy Story 2, Al, an obsessed and greedy toy advocate collector, rolls up to a yard sale and stumbles across Woody, who had gone on a rescue mission to save Wheezy the toy penguin from being sold. Al steals Woody and takes him back to his penthouse apartment, where he prepares to earn a fortune by sending Woody and the rest of his Roundup Gang to a toy museum in Tokyo. In the meantime, Woody meets Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete the Prospector. After initially resisting the idea of leaving Andy and the other toys behind, Woody recognizes the allure of spending eternity in a museum where he can be protected and preserved. He eventually realizes, though, that not only can he go back to doing what he had done so well for years, but the rest of the Roundup Gang can escape with him. After Stinky Pete turns heel and demands that they acknowledge him, Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye spend the rest of the movie trying to escape the Roundup Gang vortex.
Sami Zayn’s involvement in the Bloodline infused new energy into a group that needed it. Sami’s initial intent was to ingratiate himself with Roman Reigns and the Usos, hoping that being part of the group would elevate his status and give him some clout in the locker room. Roman would anoint Sami as the Honorary Uce, and they went on a memorable run together. That was, until Royal Rumble 2023. Despite proving his loyalty by hitting his lifelong friend Kevin Owens with a low blow at Survivor Series, Sami was being forced by Roman to attack a helpless and handcuffed Owens at Royal Rumble. Zayn couldn’t do it, had a complete change of heart, and attacked WWE’s own prospector, Roman Reigns instead.
Toy Story 3 – Woody is 2014 Daniel Bryan
With Andy going off to college, his toys get mistakenly donated in Toy Story 3. They ended up at a daycare center, which, to them, seemed like a great alternative to being stored in the attic and collecting dust. As the toys all start to get the lay of the land in their new digs, the maniacal teddy bear, Lotso is revealed to be somewhat of a cult leader for all of the toys at the daycare. Woody tries to convince his friends that they were accidentally thrown away and don’t need to stay there. When the rest of Andy’s toys realize that they can trust Woody, they do whatever they can to escape Lotso and his goons, including a brainwashed Buzz Lightyear.
In 2014, Daniel Bryan, after suffering a series of relentless beatdowns at the hands of Erick Rowan and the late Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper, decided to fall in line and join the Wyatt Family. After being a good soldier for just a few weeks, Bryan took off his jumpsuit and attacked his stablemates, signaling to the world that he had only joined the faction to tear them apart from the inside. This turned Daniel Bryan into an undeniable babyface and set his course directly towards the beginning of the Yes! Movement at WrestleMania 30.
(Note: This is admittedly the weakest of the connections to the Toy Story movies, but the pictures of Woody/Lotso and Bryan/Bray were just too similar for me to pass up!)
Toy Story 4 – Woody is 2016 Cody Rhodes
After decades of obsessing over being the go-to toy for Andy and eventually Bonnie, Woody decides to completely change course in Toy Story 4. Bonnie brings home a new favorite toy from kindergarten, Forky, a spork that she had decorated with googly eyes and pipe cleaners. Forky, naturally, only regards himself as trash and goes on a crusade to end up in a landfill and out of his misery. Woody, knowing how much the naive piece of plasticware means to Bonnie, sets out to save him and bring him back. In the meantime, Woody’s travels take him to an antique shop where he reunites with his long-lost love, Bo Peep. Woody discovers that since leaving Andy’s sister’s nightstand years ago, Bo ran away and became an independent “lost toy” on a mission to help other lost toys find owners. Seeing his own role in Bonnie’s world changing, Woody decides to join Bo, reinventing himself and finding a higher purpose in the process.
In 2016, after running with a few mediocre mid-card gimmicks in the years prior, Cody Rhodes was saddled with the infamous Stardust one, an offshoot of his real-life brother Dustin’s legendary Goldust character. After arriving on the scene years prior and making a huge impact by Randy Orton’s side in Legacy, it was clear that Cody Runnels wasn’t satisfied with his career trajectory after donning the facepaint and leather jumpsuit. Cody left the company in 2016 and would go on to completely reinvent himself in the years that followed. After stints in Ring of Honor, TNA, New Japan, and appearances in several other lesser-known companies, Cody got in on the ground floor with the formation of All Elite Wrestling, launched in early 2019.
Toy Story 5 – Woody is 2024 John Cena
Okay, so this one is obvious, and what’s to blame for me going down this WWE Toy Story rabbit hole.
In the interest of not giving away too much of the plot of Toy Story 5, I will just say that there were parallels between Woody’s role in the movie and John Cena’s role in WWE in 2024 that I would love to discuss in the comments. (Remember to use spoiler bars if you choose to talk about it here!)
As for everyone’s favorite sheriff, you’ll have to see the movie to find out if Woody undergoes a life-changing hair transplant the same way the Never Seen 17 did.
So let me have it Cagesiders! Are there better WWE stories you can relate to the evolution of Sheriff Woody over the years? Are there other characters in the two worlds you can make connections between? Do I watch too much wrestling? Sound off in the comments!
