Make the case to turn Cody Rhodes into a WWE Heel Champion | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumours

The idea of ​​Cody Rhodes returning as a heel anytime soon will not be a popular one with many fans. Things still feel too fresh after his years-long quest to finish the storyline and take down Roman Reigns.

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

This isn’t the Vince McMahon era though, it doesn’t have to be for cheap pop that doesn’t make sense. It’s a winnable moment. And when we look at the WWE landscape, it makes sense.

Storytelling in WWE has evolved, as has the business as a whole. CM Punk and Drew McIntyre just put together one of the best modern feuds I’ve ever seen while a guy was on the shelf for the better part of a year. Reigns did nothing prior to his recent return, while the actions of the actual wrestlers on the show turned his entire standing with the fans on its head.

I mean, Rhodes could organically transition into that inevitable Homelander comparison from “The Boys” gradually over time and make sense. A corrupt Rhodes blurring the lines between real and fake while emphasizing everything he’s really done for the industry would be super fun — especially if he’s technically facing a good guy version of Reigns.

The business aspect is also a big part of it. Back in the day, it felt like WWE pretty much needed someone like John Cena to stick around so he could put out merchandise that did massive numbers, mostly because of the younger fans.

A look around the modern day WWE says it all. While Rhodes is definitely bringing in big numbers as a good guy at this point, Reigns was acting like the evil tribal chief who would literally go out in front of thousands of people and abuse his family members.

These days, WWE doesn’t need a cargo top engine at the top. Look at Jey Uso and LA Knight as prime examples of this – they’re probably stuck in purgatory and won’t sniff the top titles now that those belts revolve around massive, long-running storylines with top stars. But that certainly won’t stop them from putting big dollar signs on their financial statements.

Make no mistake, WWE has a good thing about storytelling in that the old school feud requirements of babyface vs. heel are almost dead in the water. The heels can collide and a 50-50 like Reigns can go after Rhodes.

But Rhodes turning heel might be too much fun to pass up. This is especially true if the backbreaker, or so to speak, comes in a feud with old friend Randy Orton – one of the hottest faces in the company, who seems to be ending his career.

While fans would be right to believe that the Orton of old would be the one to betray Rhodes if they feud any time soon…it’s pretty exciting to think of Rhodes channeling his own “Legend Killer” persona for eliminate Orton.

Of course, a Rhodes heel 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 ever-evolving narratives.

We also have to wonder how much of a ticking time bomb this version of Rhodes is. He’s already flirting with falling into the “Super Cena” range because it’s so obvious he’s not going to lose, and his conflicts after winning the big one just lacked that. fist. It’s starting to resemble that tail-spin that was the end of his AEW tenure.

Rhodes just shrugging and accepting being unstoppable would be one way to build an incredible heel that rivals Reigns’ peaks. There are so many fun milestones to consider, such as Orton’s betrayal, Cena’s retirement tour being completely blacked out, Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline defense, maybe even shoulder-hugging in friendly fashion with The Rock, it goes on and on further. We have that absolute stupidity that gave Rock the Royal Rumble win after all. Come on.

A big disclaimer: Rhodes has to want to do it. Speculation says no, mostly because even AEW’s persona just had it WWE Top Dog written all over. But he’s also back on top at a time when his exact formula risks becoming a relic of a bygone era.

That leaves Rhodes with the ability to direct how this modern era can define top champions and tell more meaningful stories. It started with Bloodline and Reigns, but he is undoubtedly in a position to continue it if everyone involved agrees.

Indeed, the case for a Rhodes heel is not that difficult to make. These long-running titles with complex characters are amazing, so the fact that it’s not willing to explore the other end of the spectrum and the story possibilities there would be a big letdown, probably for a large part of the fanbase.