Cody Rhodes is the biggest babyface in the WWE Universe.
A natural hero for leaving AEW behind to return to the Fed – plus, you know, his red, white, and blue presentation – Rhodes has battled beasts, put down foreign foes, and ultimately unseated the “Tribal Chief” in the pursuit of finishing the story his father never could, becoming the second Undisputed WWE Universal Champion under this current lineage.
And yet, at his heart, Rhodes is more Homelander than Captain America, and after being effectively run out of AEW because the fans wanted to see him turn heel, it’s worth wondering if the same thing could happen in WWE, with his weekly dad jokes and repetitive promos earning more and more boos with each passing week.
Could WWE eventually opt to turn Rhodes heel, with the “American Nightmare” unable to reject the decision considering he’s no longer an EVP? Only time will tell, but in an appearance on the SI Media podcast, even Rhodes admitted that he could have been the perfect Paul Heyman Guy, echoing a suggestion made by Bully Ray in the not-too-distant past.
“In another lifetime, I probably would have made the best Paul Heyman Guy. I probably could have been his absolute Ace. It just didn’t work out that way. It worked out that I was the adversary for his number one guy, Roman Reigns. There is part of me that looks at that, even with the questionable decisions that Mr. Heyman makes, part of me looks at that and goes, ‘That might have been fun. That might have been a good car to be in. That might have been a good person to lean over to right before one of the bigger moments in your life and have something to share,’” Cody Rhodes explained via Fightful.
“I had that same enjoyment when I had Arn Anderson with me. Just to have someone who has been there before. There is also beauty in being there totally by yourself. There is a specialness to that. All that said, even with the blood and violence and how bad things had gotten, I was very understanding that he was going to mention Dusty. I stood up when Mr. Heyman walked out. All of this was a conscious decision because of what we were celebrating and how he looked and how he revered my father. I’m not a Paul Heyman Guy, that never happened, but we do share the bond that is Dusty. He’s one of the very few guys that when they talk about Dusty, I don’t roll my eyes or bang my head against the table. He did know him. He knows some things that I don’t even know. I was glad he was present in Mr. Heyman’s speech, as wild of a speech as it was.”
While Rhodes projects perfectly as a babyface, it’s hard not to notice that darkness just bubbling under the surface that makes him incredibly intriguing as a heel, with the anger he feels for being overlooked during his first run in WWE and for being rejected by AEW fans for using his preferred presentation helping to fuel a persona that rejects everything the “American Dream” stood for, opting to tear it all down in order to build his own kingdom. Will it ever happen? Eh, probably not, but gosh, it would be amazing.
Cody Rhodes reveals his highlight moment with The Rock in 2024.
Elsewhere during his appearance on the SI Media podcast, Cody Rhodes was asked about his favorite moment from his feud with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which, to be fair, was loaded with interesting interactions. After a quick moment of reflection, Rhodes chose the most obvious option, the slap heard around the world.
“There was a moment, in the ring, live, happening in real time where Seth and I came down through the people to confront the Tribal Chief and Final Boss,” Cody Rhodes explained via 411 Mania. “I got a big kick out of seeing them see us. I’ve given a lot of respect to The Rock, and will certainly continue to do so, but I think he didn’t know who I was as a player. I think in the moment, he saw, ‘Geez, they’re all doing the WOAH. He’s signing autographs on the way down here.’ It’s a different type of individual than perhaps he maybe saw a picture online or one clip. We base so much off GIFs and social media. That moment, right before I slapped him, and I brought that slap, that moment was a nice moment amongst myself and Seth and our place in all this.”
Unfortunately for Rhodes, the real top moment from his feud with The Rock has to be “The People’s Champion” beating him bloody with his belt in the rain or even The Undertaker showing up behind Johnson on Night 2 of WrestleMania 40. Still, his option works too, even if it probably won’t have the same lasting power.
