Cody Rhodes has done some horrendous things in the past, from forcibly unmasking Rey Mysterio to demanding WWE fans put paper bags over their heads to conceal their “ugliness.” And remember those grooming tips from his “Dashing” days? We’re still trying to purge those from our memories.

Seemingly, however, Rhodes’ most controversial transgression against the WWE Universe was his decision to grow a mustache while recovering from a shoulder injury. When Rhodes returned to action on the Dec. 10, 2012, edition of Raw, viewers rushed to their keyboards and smartphones to sound off on the second-generation Superstar’s apparent follicular atrocity via Twitter, rallying behind the #CodysMustache hashtag … a “mustachetag,” if you will.
( READ: WWE UNIVERSE REACTS TO THE ’STACHE)

Did Rhodes expect this type of bristly reception for his Ned Flanders–esque cookie duster?

“I didn’t make any genuine, conscious decision to grow a mustache,” Rhodes told WWE.com. “Some people just grow up, and I think some fans out there are so accustomed to the fresh-faced, 20-year-old Cody Rhodes who appeared on Raw in 2007, and that’s just not the case anymore. I’ve grown up.”

And with that growth comes a certain degree of maturity, Rhodes explained, and a thickening of the skin that makes the former Intercontinental Champion immune to the WWE Universe’s digital slings and arrows. In the last week, Rhodes’ upper lip accoutrement has been compared on Twitter to the iconic ’staches of WWE Legend “Ravishing” Rick Rude, actor Tom Selleck and animation pioneer Walt Disney.

“First of all, to whomever said I look like Walt Disney, I don’t know in what playbook you wouldn’t consider that a massive compliment,” Rhodes said. “Disney now owns ‘Star Wars,’ and every year people flock to the theme park empire he built to escape their absolutely mundane lives. I’ll take looking like Walt Disney, Errol Flynn or ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude — one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions of all time — any day.”

Cody has received his fair share of grief from the other Superstars in the locker room, and has similarly taken those verbal jabs in stride. One defender of Rhodes’ mustache is his tag team partner, Damien Sandow.

“I don’t understand what all the hoopla is about,” Sandow said of his Team Rhodes Scholars ally and fellow facial hair advocate. “It is symmetrical and is appropriate according to his facial dimensions. It is simply a lovely mustache.”

But is Rhodes’ soup strainer truly “lovely,” regardless of the moral makeup of its bearer? For an analytical take on the issue, WWE.com went right to the expert: WWE Diva and self-professed “mustache aficionado” Kaitlyn.

Does the Diva approve? Read on to find out.

Team Rhodes Scholars say they are the best team in WWE.

“I want to address the fact that Cody’s mustache looks like it is shooting out of his face, like it is doing everything it can to escape,” the Diva affirmed. “It’s such a good mustache on such an annoying person. To be honest, the first thing I thought was that we were seeing Cody’s ‘evil twin,’ but Cody is evil so maybe this is ‘Good Cody.’ I’m confused by the whole thing. But on a scale of 1 to 10, we’re looking at a hard 9.5.”

Regardless of what people think of his mustache (which trended worldwide on Twitter Sunday night), Rhodes successfully teamed with Sandow at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs to earn a WWE Tag Team Title opportunity against Team Hell No. Soon enough, the WWE Universe could be tweeting more about a championship around Rhodes’ waist than the hair on his face.

How do you rate Cody Rhodes’ mustache? Do you think that we’re seeing a more mature Rhodes? Voice your opinion on  Twitter and  Tout using the hashtag #CodysMustache.