Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is currently the company’s number one babyface.
But with virtually every top star eventually turning heel at some point, the question is – how long will Rhodes will remain the ultimate good guy?
It’s a subject that Rhodes himself has addressed – having a admitted recently that he felt he was at the “tail end” of his babyface run.
If that turn does come, what storyline could WWE use to push Rhodes to wrestling’s proverbial dark side? Here are five potential plans.
5. Cody Rhodes Joins The Rock
It was widely reported earlier this year that The Rock had been lobbying backstage for Cody Rhodes to turn heel.
Had he got his way, it would have been Rhodes aligning with him rather than The Rock pulling the trigger on John Cena’s heel turn at Elimination Chamber.
While WWE ultimately went with Cena, the turn has largely been viewed as a failure, raising the question of whether the company could revisit the story – this time with Rhodes in the role originally intended.
As far as possibilities for a Rhodes heel turn go, this one seems unlikely, as WWE running the same angle twice in two years would feel like too much of a stretch.
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4. Cody Rhodes Turns On Randy Orton
The past year has seen Cody Rhodes maintain an informal alliance with former partner Randy Orton, with history between the two dating back to Orton’s Legacy faction in 2008.
The pair clashed in the final of this year’s King of the Ring tournament at Night of Champions in June, with Orton holding back from punting his old ally before Rhodes ultimately secured the win.
They have remained aligned on television ever since, most recently when Rhodes came to Orton’s aid on the September 12 edition of SmackDown after a post-match attack by Drew McIntyre – though it has also been teased by Orton himself that he might turn on Rhodes down the line.
But what if WWE swerves its audience and, instead of Orton betraying Rhodes, it’s Rhodes who turns his back on his former faction leader?
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3. “You Turned On Me”
It has been notable that Cody Rhodes has been booed this year for the first time since his WWE return.
In both his WrestleMania and SummerSlam matches against John Cena, Rhodes was met with some boos, something he hadn’t experienced since the end of his run with AEW – although it hasn’t quite been to that level.
This reaction – and whether it continues – opens the door for WWE to run its often-used “you turned your back on me” storyline, with Rhodes going heel and blaming the fans.
While this could be a way to explain Rhodes turning heel, it’s also a contrived trope WWE has leaned on too many times, so if he does make the move to the dark side, hopefully the company opts for something more creative.
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2. Introduction Of Brandi Rhodes
AJ Lee’s WWE return and her upcoming mixed tag match alongside her husband CM Punk against Becky Lynch and her own husband Seth Rollins has been a major driver of fan interest.
That naturally opens the door to speculation about whether Cody Rhodes’ own wife, Brandi Rhodes, could one day follow suit with a WWE return.
Towards the end of her AEW run Brandi Rhodes became something of a heat magnet, loudly and consistently booed by fans, and her reappearance in WWE – a company she herself left in 2016 – could ignite a Cody heel turn.
While unlikely in the immediate future given the couple recently celebrated the birth of their second child, it remains a possibility further down the line.
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1. Double Turn At WrestleMania 43
The announcement on September 12 of WrestleMania 43 taking place in Saudi Arabia has already led to talk of a potential main event between The Rock and Cody Rhodes.
The bout has felt likely ever since The Rock pinned Rhodes in the night one main event tag match at WrestleMania 40, setting up a natural clash between Rock as the heel and Rhodes as the babyface.
If it does take place in 2027, it could echo the famous WrestleMania 18 showdown between Rock and Hulk Hogan, but with the roles reversed as Rock becomes the sentimental favourite and Rhodes turns heel.
If WWE does want to pull the trigger on a Rhodes heel turn, this would arguably be one of the most effective ways to do it.
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