Cody Rhodes on a Heel Turn: How He Would Do It, Why He Doubts It, and the Group He Wants
Cody Rhodes has spoken more openly than ever about the idea of turning heel. In an interview on the Ebro, Laura & Rosenberg Show this week, the former Undisputed WWE Champion said he is "very open" to becoming a bad guy if it helps WWE, explained exactly how he would do it, and also said why he does not expect it to happen. On his own podcast, *What Do You Want to Talk About?*, he added that he has been trying to bring a group of his own to WWE TV.
The comments come two weeks before Survivor Series: WarGames in Houston, where Rhodes is the captain of Team USA. Here is what he said, and what we make of it.
What Cody Rhodes said about a heel turn
Rhodes said the idea of a turn is not something he would refuse. He pointed out that some fans already boo him and have already decided he is a bad guy, describing him as fake or pretentious, and he admitted he can see why some people see him that way. He also said the character on TV is rooted in who he really is, which is why criticism of the character can feel personal.
He drew a clear line between being booed and being truly disliked. A turn that fans think is cool, he said, would not be the point. If he did it, he would try to take it as far as he could and would not want to be cheered, noting that WWE is now on ESPN, Netflix and Disney. He also said the longer WWE goes without a definitive turn, the less likely it becomes.
His plan: one promo, then silence
The most interesting part was how he would do it. Rhodes said that if he ever turned, he would explain why once, and then never cut another promo. Someone else would speak for him from that point on. In his words, "I would tell the audience one time, and one time only."
The reason he would give, he suggested, would come from how hard wrestling fans are on him. He said fans hold him to the highest possible standard, and that when he does something big for them, the response is often a complaint about what he did not do. He also hinted at things in his career he had to swallow and walk through.
Why he does not think it will happen
Rhodes then talked himself out of it. He said a turn would need resentment, and that he does not have much, because he feels he has been given everything a wrestler can get. He said he tries to focus on what he got rather than what went wrong, and he asked people to take his comments with caution.
Cody also wants a group
On *What Do You Want to Talk About?*, with Chelsea Green as his guest, Rhodes said he is actively trying to get a small group on TV, and joked that he thought he had hinted at it several times already but clearly not hard enough. He did not say who would be in it.
Rhodes has worked alone for almost his entire current run, which started at WrestleMania 38 in 2022. He has had partners for specific matches, but no stable.
Where Cody Rhodes stands right now
- Crown Jewel: he beat Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match on November 7 in Riyadh, ending their feud by hitting three Cross Rhodes and then punting Orton. Parts of the crowd turned on him during the match. Read our Crown Jewel 2026 results and review.
- Survivor Series: he leads Team USA against Rey Mysterio's Team Mexico on Saturday, November 28, at Daikin Park in Houston. CM Punk joined his team on Raw on November 9, and Je'Von Evans has asked for a spot. Read Cody Rhodes as Team USA captain.
- The John Cena Classic: John Cena invited him to the tournament on December 14. See the John Cena Classic lineup so far.
Our take
Wrestlers talk about turning heel all the time. What makes this different is how specific Rhodes was. The one-promo idea is a smart one. A heel who explains himself every week gives fans something to argue with, and arguing keeps a character likeable. A heel who says his piece once and then lets someone else do the talking becomes cold and distant, which is exactly what Rhodes says he would want. It is also an old and proven wrestling formula: a manager or mouthpiece does the talking, and the wrestler only has to stand there and stare at the crowd. Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman have used a version of it for more than a decade.
The reason he gave is the strongest part of the idea. A heel turn built on fans never being satisfied with him would come from criticism that already exists, online and in arenas, so it would not need to be invented. Turning on the audience for holding him to an impossible standard is a motive fans would understand, even while they boo it, and that is what separates a turn that lasts from one that is forgotten in a month.
It also explains why the group comments matter. A mouthpiece needs a role, and a stable gives a star like Rhodes people to stand with, talk for him and do the dirty work. Whether that group ends up good or bad, it would be a real change for a character who has stood alone in the middle of the ring since 2022. We think the timing works better than at any point since 2022: the Orton story is finished, and the boos at Crown Jewel showed that not every crowd is fully behind him anymore.
His reason against it is worth taking seriously too. WWE has built its main events around Rhodes as a babyface since 2022, including two WrestleMania main event wins. Turning that character is a business decision as much as a story choice, and as long as most crowds still cheer him, WWE has no reason to rush it.
For now, nothing has changed on TV. He is the captain of Team USA, he is booked as a babyface, and he has been invited to the John Cena Classic. But a top star saying on the record that he is "very open" to a turn, and explaining exactly how he would play it, is not something to ignore. The point to watch is whether a group starts to form around him on Raw in the coming weeks.
For everything else on the card, read our Survivor Series: WarGames 2026 guide and Team USA vs. Team Mexico breakdown.
