The recent WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event was headlined by a tag team match pitting Cody Rhodes and CM Punk against Gunther and Sami Zayn. Punk and Rhodes won the match.
However, things got heated between them after the show when Rhodes confronted The Second City Saint about the WWE Championship belt catching him in the face after the match.
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At the SummerSlam Kickoff, Cody and Punk also had a heated face-off, during which The Voice of the Voiceless pushed The Prodigal Son. This development seemingly indicates that WWE could be teasing a Rhodes heel turn at the SNME show.
In this article, we will discuss four reasons why the Triple H-led promotion could turn the 41-year-old star heel.
#4 Rhodes has been babyface for a long time in WWE
Since Cody Rhodes returned to the Stamford-based promotion, he has exclusively portrayed a babyface character. His popularity reached new heights during the ‘Finish the Story’ storyline with Roman Reigns, which ultimately saw him dethrone The OTC.
After all these years, it’s high time for Cody to embrace a villainous character. This could be one of the key reasons why the company might consider turning Rhodes heel.
#3 To add a fresh element to Cody’s character
Over the past few months, The American Nightmare’s WWE booking has continued to center on his heroic persona. A heel turn would offer a significantly different direction for his character.
WWE has largely presented The Prodigal Son in a similar manner across his recent storylines. To add a fresh dimension to his character, the company could consider turning Rhodes heel, and Saturday Night’s Main Event may have teased that possibility.
#2 To generate more buzz for the CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes SummerSlam match
CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are both babyface stars in the company right now. Turning one of them heel could give the championship feud a clearer hero vs. villain dynamic.
With SummerSlam 2026 approaching, WWE could turn Rhodes heel to generate even more buzz for his upcoming title showdown with The Best in the World.
This could be one of the reasons behind Cody Rhodes’ recent character development in WWE.
#1 His feud with Randy Orton appears to be on hold
At WrestleMania 42, Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes competed for the Undisputed WWE Championship. After The Viper failed to dethrone The American Nightmare, he attacked Rhodes following the match.
Since then, The Apex Predator has been absent from WWE television, leaving his rivalry with The Prodigal Son unresolved. However, WWE has recently shifted Rhodes’ focus to his championship storyline with Punk.
With the Orton rivalry seemingly on hold, WWE could use a heel turn to take Rhodes’ character in a different direction.
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Edited by Shardul Sant