WWE's Cody Rhodes Opens Up About Potential Heel Turn, Alliance With Paul Heyman

Cody Rhodes' potential heel turn has long been speculated, and he seems to have opened the door to it.

Rhodes appeared on "Unsportsmanlike," where he was asked about potentially joining forces with Paul Heyman, eventually leading to a discussion about turning heel. "The American Nightmare" said he has a unique relationship with the Hall of Famer because of Heyman's relationship with his father, Dusty Rhodes. He didn't rule out a heel turn, adding that he would do whatever is best for WWE.

"I'm really open [to a heel turn]. That's the biggest thing that I tell people all the time: 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. But we are starting to get into an area where if you think I'm a heel, then I'm already a heel," said Rhodes. "I went out there the other night, and I said I loved punting Randy Orton. I loved it. I tried to put a little growl in it, and they just cheered. And I thought, 'Oh, I thought they were going to boo.'"

The former WWE Champion also argued against him turning into a bad guy, asserting that he couldn't be in storylines like his recent one where he would lead Team USA against Team Mexico at Survivor Series. He also said that there's a chance of him saying something bad that would ultimately get him "canceled."

"To hit it on the head a little more specifically, if something like Heyman or someone else, me as a heel would take a lot away from what I currently do," he added. "I don't know if a bad version of me would be as worried. And in 2026, going on 2027, you get a lot of outrage, a lot of cancellations. Because everyone's got that in them [to say the wrong thing]. And then you start saying some of the things you think out loud, it's like, 'Whoa.'"

He rounded off by saying that despite the reservations, he would be willing to do it when the timing is right.