Cody Rhodes Heel Turn Debate Heats Up as WWE Fears It Could ‘Kill Business’

Cody Rhodes knows his days as WWE’s top good guy are numbered—but not everyone thinks turning him heel is the smart move. The American Nightmare recently admitted the end of his babyface run is on the horizon, even revealing that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been pushing for the change. But veteran reporter Dave Meltzer says flipping the switch now could be a disaster for WWE’s booming business.

During an appearance at Fanatics Fest, Rhodes spoke openly about how long he thinks the fans will stick with him as a hero. Cody acknowledged that the run has been special—but nothing lasts forever.

“The being a good guy aspect of it—I don’t get tired of it because I get to have all of those moments. I do think we’re probably at the tail end of it though. Because there’s only so much someone can like you. I’d like to do it until the end of my career, but at some point it’s like, ‘Alright, all we do is cheer for him.’ Eventually, fans want to see someone else. I get that. And that’s when you have to change as a character.”

Cody also joked that when the turn happens, it won’t be subtle—the internet will explode.

“You’ll know because X and Instagram will hate it. Today, heels are like, ‘Oh, that’s a cool heel, we love John Cena.’ No. If you’re burying it, hating it, and saying you don’t want it on TV—that’s what a real bad guy is.”

As for when it could happen, Rhodes hinted it might be closer than fans expect—and mentioned The Rock has been pushing for it behind the scenes.

“I think you’ve got a good solid year, maybe even three years, because I’m not changing until I’m changed. My hair is naturally dark, I don’t know if I can go back. But if The Rock had it his way, I would’ve been changed already. So I think he sees something I don’t see, and that’s a very smart individual—so maybe I follow his lead.”

The Rock publicly admitted earlier this year that he wanted Cody to turn heel, but WWE shut the idea down at the time. Now, with Cody himself talking about the idea, the debate is heating up—and not everyone is on board.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer broke down why turning Cody now could backfire badly. Meltzer confirmed Cody’s comments and revealed that The Rock has been vocal behind the scenes.

“Cody did an interview where he talked about how he feels he’s at the end of his babyface run and… and just kind of talked about how, you know, Dwayne wants him to be a heel, and he thinks Dwayne’s a smart guy. And that’s what he said.”

But Meltzer admitted he was stunned to hear Cody say it publicly—and made it clear the timing is all wrong.

“I was surprised. I was surprised he said it. You know… I really think that when a guy… when a guy comes in and he’s a big difference-maker in building the audience… I wouldn’t say Cody was at the level of, you know, like a Steve Austin… I mean, at all. I wouldn’t say that. But still, business is really, really good.”

Meltzer warned that history has shown turning a top star during a business boom is dangerous—referencing Hulk Hogan’s heel turn and the fallout from Steve Austin’s in the early 2000s.

“My feeling is… is that when someone brings in a lot of… a lot of new fans and things like that as a babyface and then you turn them, it’s kind of a risk in a lot of ways. I mean, everyone looks at the Hogan thing and, you know, then they copy it. But as we’ve seen with the Cena thing… you know, it’s like… doesn’t necessarily work all the time.”

Bryan Alvarez jumped in to remind fans that Hogan’s turn came after fans had already turned on him for years.

“Hogan… people forget that it was… it was… how many years? 12 years? He was getting booed. People had already started turning on him prior to that.”

Meltzer agreed, saying Cody’s situation isn’t comparable—and the risk to WWE’s momentum is massive.

“Right. And it hasn’t been 12 years. You know what I mean? And… with Cody, it’s like… I don’t… I don’t know… is he going to go with Heyman or something? You know what I mean? Seth Rollins is just doing that. So it’s kind of like… you know what I mean?”

Meltzer revealed that even WWE officials behind the scenes know turning Cody right now could wreck their business.

“The company is in a position right now where if you turn him, like, it’s going to kill your business. Like with Austin, it hurt the business a lot. But I wouldn’t do it. You know what I mean? I think it’s a really bad idea.”

He also made it clear The Rock hasn’t given up on the idea—and still wants Cody to turn.

“Obviously Dwayne has never given up on wanting him to turn and… and… and then be together. But I was surprised… you know… especially from Cody. I was surprised he said it.”

Meltzer ended by reminding everyone that when it comes to top stars who draw money—sometimes, change is the worst thing you can do.

“I always think… if it’s… if it’s… if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Especially when it’s… especially when it’s a top babyface who is a draw.”

With no obvious replacement for Cody as WWE’s leading good guy, the question remains—does WWE roll the dice on a heel turn, or ride the wave as long as they can?

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