Felix Upton on April 14, 2026
Cody Rhodes may have shut down heel turn talk before, but that’s no longer the case as the American Nightmare has now done a complete 180 when it comes to turning heel.
After repeatedly shutting down the idea of ever turning heel, Rhodes is now changing his tone. During an April 14, 2026 appearance on Unsportsmanlike, he admitted that his mindset has shifted—and he’s no longer ruling it out.
This comes after months of Rhodes firmly positioning himself as WWE’s top babyface, even going as far as saying he didn’t have the interest or emotional investment to play a heel. But now, he’s acknowledging that unpredictability is part of what keeps wrestling compelling.
“Fans love when they don’t know the direction… I’ve been really bullish and really absolute, saying, ‘Oh, I don’t think there’s a heel turn for me at any point, and I’m against it.’ But at this point, I don’t believe that at all.”
That’s a major shift from where he stood before—and he didn’t stop there. Rhodes went on to explain that he’s no longer locking himself into one path, making it clear he’s open to wherever things go moving forward.
“I’m really open to all paths and avenues. I make the choices that I make, that I was raised to make, and I play myself when I’m out there—but you can’t really call this one and the direction it goes.”
This comes after Rhodes had previously made it clear on his own podcast that he had “no interest” in being a bad guy and didn’t think he could fully commit to it. WWE also reportedly had no plans to turn him anytime soon. But this changes the conversation.
Instead of shutting the door, Rhodes is now leaving it wide open—and that uncertainty alone could play into how his character evolves moving forward.
Do you think Cody Rhodes opening the door to a heel turn makes things more interesting, or should he stay exactly where he is as WWE’s top babyface? Let us know your thoughts.
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