WWE Is Repeating AEW’s Mistakes With Cody Rhodes

Over the last year (and at times even beyond that), WWE’s number one babyface in the promotion, Cody Rhodes, has teased the potential of a heel turn. With moments in which he’s gone the extra mile in terms of violence to successfully retain his WWE Championship, or shades of grey shown in interviews, there have been hints of a darker side to Rhodes… but WWE has yet to pull the trigger on any sort of character shift. During his feud with Randy Orton, WWE’s handling of Rhodes’ character has been less than ideal, and if they don’t make a decision soon on his direction, then they may fall into the exact same traps as AEW did.

WWE Has Teased The Idea Of A Cody Rhodes Heel Turn

• WWE has told the story of Rhodes needing a darker edge multiple times already.
• His feud with Randy Orton has further teased a heel turn for Rhodes.
• Rhodes’ babyface character has run dry in WWE.

Cody Rhodes is WWE’s ultimate good guy, taking up the mantle from John Cena as the face of the company. Despite being often presented as being pure, true, and righteous, WWE has told the story of Rhodes needing to delve into a darker side in order to win matches. For instance, WWE did this during Rhodes’ WWE Championship feud with AJ Styles, in which Rhodes smashed Styles with steel steps even after Styles said the words “I Quit”, then in his vicious rivalry with Kevin Owens where Rhodes would snap more than once. Rhodes went on to feud with John Cena, with WWE telling the story of Rhodes not having the same killer instinct that the heelish Cena had.

At WrestleMania 42, Rhodes finally showed that he had what it takes to go the extra mile in terms of physicality and violence, beating the hell out of rival Randy Orton in a match where he was presented as the de facto heel. However, when they met again at Saturday Night’s Main Event, WWE once again told the story of Rhodes failing to have a killer instinct, which ultimately cost him the match. The cycle of Rhodes’ storylines, the repetitive nature of his WWE Title feuds over the last few years, and the inconsistencies regarding his booking, have all led to his babyface spell running dry. At this point in time, Rhodes does not feel like WWE’s most popular and over star. It is time for a change, and WWE must make it before they go down the same route as AEW did with Rhodes.

Cody Rhodes & AEW Refused A Heel Turn Which Ruined His Character

• Rhodes’ babyface act in AEW went down a bad booking route.
• Fans turned against Rhodes and tried to force a heel turn.
• Rhodes’ tweener character made for many awkward months in AEW.

When AEW began, Cody Rhodes was the most popular babyface on the whole roster, putting in tremendous performances both in the ring and as a character in matches and feuds with the likes of Chris Jericho and MJF, plus defending the TNT Championship in a spree of popular open challenges in which he elevated names such as Darby Allin, Brodie Lee, Ricky Starks, and Eddie Kingston into bigger stars in AEW. However, Rhodes’ momentum soon ran out in rivalries with the likes of QT Marshall and Malakai Black, leading to fans turning their back on the dislikable, forced “good guy” act.

With how much fans hated Rhodes, booed him out of arenas, and with how natural he could be with a heelish edge (as shown in the likes of WWE, TNA, NJPW & ROH), fans expected AEW to turn him heel… only it never happened. For months, Rhodes would tease turning heel, only to back off and never do it, which became even more frustrating each and every time it happened. Fans absolutely hated Rhodes and everything he touched by the end of his tenure with the promotion, which was a huge shame given his role in starting up the promotion. It was never fully confirmed if it was AEW, Rhodes, or both who refused the heel turn, but things could have been very different if they pulled the trigger.

WWE Must Turn Cody Rhodes Heel To Avoid AEW’s Mistakes

• Rhodes’ babyface feuds in WWE have become repetitive.
• He is in dire need of a gimmick change in WWE.
• Rhodes could be WWE’s best heel.

If WWE keeps going back-and-forth on Rhodes’ character, it won’t be long until fans finally begin to lose some interest in him as an act. WWE’s current live audience are far more willing to accept what they are given, but they have still had a history of booing Rhodes in feuds with the likes of Cena & Orton, so turning against an inconsistent and tiring Rhodes character is not out of the question. To avoid this, WWE must become bold in their booking of Rhodes and finally pull the trigger on a heel turn.

After years of headlining WrestleMania, reigning as world champion, and being a strong babyface, shifting gears and turning into an arrogant, entitled, cocky heel would open the door to one of the best characters in WWE. Rhodes has a history of phenomenal heel work, and doing so in the main event scene in WWE will not only produce entertaining feuds and segments, but he will have the power to elevate rising babyfaces in the company too. If WWE plays timid in their approach, much like AEW did, then they will repeat all the same mistakes.