Cody Rhodes Addresses Potential WWE Heel Turn

Cody Rhodes repeatedly quashed any talk of him turning heel during his time with All Elite Wrestling and the 'American Nightmare' doesn't seem particularly keen to turn to the dark side in WWE either.

Addressing a potential heel turn with The Pivot Podcast, Cody said:

"Being a heel in wrestling, it's very hard to be a heel today. What is a heel? If a heel is trying to actively take something away that you like, You'll hear people in wrestling say there is a wrong type of heat. There is truly no such thing as the wrong type of heat, as long as you can manage it. As long as you can take it. Today, people get cancelled for everything. Every hour, somebody is getting cancelled and uncanceled. A heel's job is to get cancelled. A heel's job is to not be cool and not sell merch. In wrestling, the term has gotten more identified with The Rock types that aren't really heels. He's just The Rock. He's in a Disney movie. He's beloved. Watching him is a prime example. You have to really go to lengths to upset people and do something. In this case, he upset them greatly because he was taking away a spot. He was smart enough to know, 'That's a good spot to be in.'

"Most people are uncomfortable in that spot. Most people don't want to explore being hated. John Bradshaw Layfield, you couldn't sell his merch, even in his hometown. If there were JBL shirts, he would go up to the stands personally and make sure they were not there. He was meant to be hated. He wanted you cheering for John (Cena) and Eddie Guerrero. That is a hard ask. There is beauty if you can commit to being a bad guy. It's a unique space creatively. You have to be really vulnerable, open, and open and blood-hungry in terms of how you are on the microphone. 

"There is a growing sect of fans that want to see that happen for me at some point. If you're really wishing for that, it's scorched earth. Then you might be, 'We don't like that.' You have to really go scorched earth, and in 2024, that is hard for anyone to understand. You're not meant to be cool. You're not meant to be the next Rock. You're meant to be a bad guy."

Cody Rhodes admitted earlier this year that he has thought about turning heel in WWE. The Undisputed WWE Champion is currently WWE's top babyface and one of the company's top merch sellers.

Rhodes almost wasn't Undisputed WWE Champion, though, as WWE pivoted to The Rock vs. Roman Reigns as the main event of WrestleMania 40 before fan reaction caused The Rock to change his mind and put Cody back in the main event slot. Speaking about the backstage turmoil, Cody admitted he thought it was "insane" that some believed he would be okay about stepping aside for Dwayne Johnson.

H/T WrestlingNews.co