Backstage Update On The Possibility Of A Cody Rhodes Heel Turn In WWE

There comes a point in every babyface's run at the top of a company where the fans start longing for change and dream of what life would be like if they were a heel. It happened to Roman Reigns, it's now happened to John Cena, and after three years in and around WWE's main event scene, there has been talk of Cody Rhodes potentially turning heel. These talks originally started earlier on in the year, but after Rhodes was heavily booed in the main event of WrestleMania 41 night two against Cena, combined with the fact that a rematch could very well be on the cards in the near future, could a Rhodes heel turn actually happen?

According to Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the short answer is no. However, the long answer, while also being no, involves someone in a position of power pushing hard for the turn to happen. That someone is, of course, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who lobbied for Rhodes to turn heel instead of Cena at the 2025 Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event in March, but Rhodes turning heel has reportedly never been something that WWE have wanted to do, with one of the camps involved believing that it was the one of the worst ideas they'd heard considering how hot Rhodes is as a top babyface.

Meltzer did note that WWE are running the risk of having Rhodes be booed in both the semi-finals and finals (if he makes it there) of the 2025 King of the Ring tournament as fans will want to cheer for Jey Uso, who Rhodes will face in the semi-final, and either Sami Zayn or Randy Orton if Rhodes meets them in the final. The idea of also running back a WrestleMania main event that did not receive the best reaction could cause even more people to lobby for a Rhodes heel turn if the same reaction is received.