WWE Champion Cody Rhodes Responds To Fans Calling For Him To Turn Heel

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Ahead of Money In The Bank 2024, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has discussed what it means to be a “heel.”

Since his return to the company in 2022, Cody Rhodes has established himself as the top babyface in the entire WWE.

Despite his previous runs and feeling like he was on the verge of a turn during his final stretch in AEW, it seems strange to even imagine Rhodes as a heel now after his popularity has reached new heights in the past year.

Speaking with The Pivot Podcast, Cody Rhodes discussed the art of being a “pro wrestling heel.” He said:

“It is very hard to be a heel today. Very hard because what is a heel? If a heel is trying to actively take something away that you like…”

“You’ll hear people in wrestling say ‘there’s a wrong type of heat’, there’s truly no such thing as long as you can manage it. Today people get canceled for everything, every hour someone’s getting canceled and uncanceled.”

“A heel’s job is to get canceled. A heel’s job is to not be cool, to not sell merch, and I think in wrestling the term has gotten more identified with The Rock types, that aren’t really heels.”

On The Rock turning heel earlier this year, Cody said:

“This is the Rock, he’s in a Disney movie, he’s beloved.”

“Watching him is a prime example, you have to really go to lengths to upset people and he upset them greatly because he was taking away a spot and he was smart enough to know that was a good spot to be in.”

“Most people are uncomfortable in that spot. Most people don’t want to explore being hated.”

Comparing being heel now to JBL’s run as the top heel, Rhodes said:

“John Bradshaw Layfield, JBL, you couldn’t sell his merch, even in his hometown he’d go up to the stands personally and make sure (JBL shirts) are not there.”

“He was meant to be hated, he wanted you cheering for John (Cena), he wanted you cheering for Eddie Guerrero, that is a hard ask, especially when we’re recruiting outside of wrestling, they’re like ‘I want to be that guy, I want to be the champ’.”

“There’s a beauty if you can commit to being a bad guy, it’s a unique space creatively, you need to be vulnerable and open, and you’ve got to be blood hungry in terms of how you are on the microphone, there’s a growing section of fans that wants to see that happen for me at some point.”

“I understand the links, but I don’t really know if they know what they’re asking for though. If you’re really wishing for that, it’s scorched earth.”

“And then you might be like ‘ah I don’t like that, no, that’s rude to that group of people’, no that’s the job.”

“Someone’s going to come out and beat me up in a minute, before they do, I’m going to talk my trash. You have to really go scorched earth in this day and in 2024 it’s hard.”

Cody Rhodes will team with Randy Orton and Kevin Owens to face The Bloodline in a six-man tag team match this Saturday, July 6 at WWE Money In The Bank 2024.

Undisputed #WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on fans calling for him to turn heel:

"It is very hard to be a heel today. Very hard because what is a heel? If a heel is trying to actively take something away that you like… You’ll hear people in wrestling say ‘there’s a wrong type of… pic.twitter.com/MOFPyoW2kz

— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) July 2, 2024

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