Cody Rhodes has revealed that he remains open to turning heel in WWE, admitting that he would be willing to change his character if it benefited the company.
Speaking on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike on Wednesday while promoting the upcoming WWE John Cena Classic, Cody Rhodes said he’d be willing to abandon his current babyface persona and embrace a more villainous role. The former Undisputed WWE Champion has previously offered differing opinions about turning heel, but explained that his priority is doing whatever is best for WWE.
“I’m really open. That’s the biggest thing that I tell people all the time with, you’re going to make that shift and you’re going to go heel or you stay babyface, whatever it is, whatever is best for WWE,” Rhodes said.
However, Rhodes suggested that the distinction between heroes and villains has become increasingly complicated because fans interpret characters so differently. He recalled a recent appearance where he attempted to provoke a negative reaction by celebrating his actions against Randy Orton, only for the audience to cheer instead.
“Prime example: I went out there the other night, wherever we were, and I said, ‘I loved punting Randy Orton. I loved it.’ I tried to put a little growl in it: ‘I loved it.’ And they just cheered. And I thought, ‘Oh, I thought they were going to boo.”
Rhodes believes these unpredictable reactions demonstrate that wrestling fans can interpret the same character in different ways.
Cody Rhodes Discusses Potential Partnership With Paul Heyman
During the interview, Cody Rhodes was also asked about the possibility of turning heel and aligning himself with Paul Heyman. He described the suggestion as “very interesting,” pointing to his unique relationship with Heyman through his late father, Dusty Rhodes, who worked with the veteran wrestling personality during his career.
Rhodes also revealed that Heyman has already recorded an appearance on his What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, with the episode scheduled for release after Thanksgiving. Although intrigued by the possibility of working alongside Heyman, Rhodes believes a villainous version of his character would likely be different from what fans expect.
He acknowledged that changing his current presentation could mean sacrificing certain aspects of his established persona, although he also believes a heel turn could introduce new dimensions to the character. Ultimately, Rhodes indicated that any such decision would depend on WWE’s creative direction under Triple H.
“I’m very open to it,” Rhodes said. “I think everyone in creative always, Triple H is the one guiding the ship here. I think when something like that, when it’s time, we won’t miss that opportunity. But if it’s never time, I’m sorry. I don’t know.”
For now, Cody Rhodes remains open to exploring a different direction, although there has been no indication that WWE has decided to turn him heel or pair him with Heyman.
