It was widely reported that The Rock had wanted Cody Rhodes to turn heel ahead of this year’s WWE WrestleMania — a move that ultimately didn’t happen, with John Cena turning instead.
Rhodes has since acknowledged that he’s at the “tail end” of his babyface run, clearly foreshadowing an imminent turn.
With Cena himself reverting to a babyface on SummerSlam’s go-home SmackDown, there’s growing speculation that Rhodes could turn on him during the main event of Night Two.
In the wake of a heel turn, Rhodes could establish a new “Nightmare Family” faction — and here are six WWE stars who could potentially join up with “The American Nightmare”:
6. Brandi Rhodes
Cody Rhodes’ wife Brandi would be a natural choice for his heel faction.
While she was a featured performer during her time in AEW, Brandi has only made occasional on-screen appearances since Cody returned to WWE in 2022.
A charismatic presence and sharp on the microphone, she was consistently booed by the end of her AEW run — a testament to her heel bona fides and ability to get under fans’ skin.
Aligning with her husband could once again make Brandi Rhodes a regular presence on wrestling television.
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5. Arn Anderson
Arn Anderson was central to Cody Rhodes’ act in AEW, serving as his manager during some of his biggest matches — including iconic bouts with Brodie Lee, MJF, and Malakai Black.
Yet since Rhodes’ return to WWE, Anderson has only made one on-screen appearance.
At 66, “The Enforcer” remains a charismatic performer with undiminished skill on the microphone.
Though a babyface in AEW, Anderson is one of wrestling’s great heels — making him a perfect choice to manage a Rhodes-led heel faction.
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4. Ricky Saints
NXT star Ricky Saints is another natural choice for Cody Rhodes’ new faction.
It’s well known that Saints – the former Ricky Starks – was one of Rhodes’ closest allies in AEW and earned his contract after a tryout match against him on Dynamite.
Currently a babyface in NXT, Saints is at his best as a supremely arrogant and cocksure heel.
He never needed a developmental run to begin with — aligning with Rhodes on WWE’s main roster would give him a platform befitting his potential.
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4. Ethan Page
Another WWE-contracted wrestler with a strong connection to Cody Rhodes is Ethan Page — like Ricky Saints, it’s well known the two share a close relationship.
Their history dates back to Rhodes’ post-WWE run on the independent scene, where they formed a regular tag team for Canadian indie Alpha-1 Wrestling and had a run as the promotion’s tag team champions.
The NXT North American Champion, Page has no need to remain in developmental and could be called up immediately — reuniting with Rhodes as a faction member and regular tag team partner.
In the wake of a potential Cody heel turn, Page is a strong candidate to be part of the Nightmare Family.
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2. Charlie Dempsey
In WWE NXT, Charlie Dempsey’s leadership of the No Quarter Catch Crew appears to be over — with Tavion Heights officially leaving the group on the 29 July edition of the show.
Both in storyline and in-ring terms, Dempsey looks ready to graduate from developmental — he is a polished technician with growing confidence in his character work.
The son of William Regal, aligning with fellow legacy star Cody Rhodes could see Dempsey embrace his family lineage, assuming a new “Charlie Regal” persona.
As an unrelenting shooter, the young Regal feels like an ideal choice for Rhodes’ heel faction.
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1. Oba Femi
Every heel faction needs a heater — a towering enforcer who protects the leader and intimidates any and all opponents.
Few fit that mould better for Cody’s group than NXT Champion Oba Femi.
A skilled big man with natural charisma, Femi has all the tools to be a breakout star in WWE.
Much like Diesel or Batista before him, aligning with a top heel could be the first step toward an eventual babyface turn — and main event stardom.
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