Making the Case to Turn Cody Rhodes Into a Heel WWE Champion

The idea of Cody Rhodes turning heel anytime soon won't be a popular one with many fans. Things still feel too fresh after his years-long pursuit of finishing the story and taking down Roman Reigns.

But in professional wrestling terms? There's no better time to do it.

This isn't the Vince McMahon era though, it doesn't have to be for some cheap pop that doesn't make sense. It's a moment that can be earned. And when looking at the landscape of WWE, it sort of makes sense.

Storytelling in WWE has evolved, as has the business as a whole. CM Punk and Drew McIntyre just built one of the best modern feuds we've ever seen while one guy was on the shelf for most of the year. Reigns didn't do a single thing before his recent return, while the actions of wrestlers actually on the show flipped his entire standing with fans on its head.

Which is to say, Rhodes could organically shift into that inescapable Homelander comparison from "The Boys" gradually over time and have it make sense. A corrupted Rhodes who blurs the lines between real and fake while pointing out all he's truthfully done for the industry would be super entertaining—especially if he's technically clashing with a good-guy version of Reigns.

The business aspect is a big part of this, too. Way back when, it felt like WWE largely needed someone like John Cena to stay in his lane so it could pump out merchandise that did massive numbers, especially because of younger fans.

Those days are dead.

One glance around modern WWE says it all. While Rhodes is surely putting up big business numbers as a good guy right now, Reigns was doing the same as the evil Tribal Chief who would literally go out in front of thousands and gaslight and abuse his own family members.

These days, WWE doesn't need a top merch mover at the top. Look at Jey Uso and LA Knight as chief examples of this—they're probably stuck in purgatory and won't sniff the top titles, now that those belts revolve around massive, long-form storytelling with top stars. But that certainly isn't going to prevent them from putting up big dollar signs on the finance sheets.

Make no mistake, WWE has a good thing going with its storytelling in that the old-school feud requirements of babyface vs. heel is pretty much dead in the water. Heels can clash and a 50-50 like Reigns can go after Rhodes.

But Rhodes morphed into a heel might be too much fun to pass up. This is especially true if backbreaker, or so to speak, comes in a feud with old friend Randy Orton—one of the most over babyfaces in the company who appears to be winding down his career.

While fans would be right to think the Orton of old would be the one to betray Rhodes if they feud soon...it's pretty captivating to think about Rhodes channeling his own "Legend Killer" persona to take out Orton.

Granted, a heel Rhodes against a babyface Reigns at WrestleMania or similar was on exactly zero WWE bingo cards even three months ago. But that's the beauty of the sport and its constantly evolving narratives.

One has to wonder, too, just how much of a ticking time bomb this version of Rhodes is anyway. He's already flirting with falling into "Super Cena" range because it's so obvious he won't lose, and his feuds post-winning the big one have just lacked that punch. It's starting to become similar to that tail-spin that was the end of his AEW tenure.

Rhodes just shrugging it off and embracing being unstoppable would be one way to build an incredible heel that rivals Reigns' peaks. There are so many fun landmarks to consider, such as betraying Orton, absolutely tarnishing Cena's retirement tour, siding with Solo Sikoa's Bloodline, maybe even brushing shoulders in a friendly manner with The Rock, it goes on and on. We have that absolute silliness that was his giving away his Royal Rumble win to Rock, after all. Come on.

A big disclaimer: Rhodes has to want to do it. Speculation says he doesn't, especially because even his AEW persona just had WWE top dog written all over it. But he's back and at the top at a time that his exact formula is at risk of becoming a relic of a past era.

That leaves Rhodes with the ability to steer just how this modern era can define top champions and tell more meaningful stories. It started with the Bloodline and Reigns, but he's undoubtedly in a position to further it, should all involved agree.

Really, the case for a heel Rhodes isn't all that hard to make. These long-term title runs with complex characters are amazing, so his being unwilling to explore the other end of the spectrum and the story possibilities there would be a big disappointment, likely for a big chunk of the fanbase.