Cody Rhodes said he is very open to a heel turn in WWE, but emphasized that Triple H, who is in charge of creative, will decide when. But Rhodes admitted that it might never happen.
In an interview with ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike podcast on Wednesday, Rhodes was asked if he could turn heel and form an alliance with Paul Heyman.
“I’m very open to it,” Rhodes said. “I think everyone in creative always… Triple H is the one guiding the ship here. I think when something like that, when it’s time, we won’t miss that opportunity. But if it’s never time, I’m sorry. I don’t know.”
Rhodes said the idea of joining Heyman is “very interesting,” noting his unique relationship with Heyman due to Heyman’s history with his father, Dusty Rhodes. Heyman taped an appearance on What Do You Wanna Talk About?, which Rhodes hosts, and it’s expected to air the week after Thanksgiving.
Rhodes said he might already be seen as a heel by some fans.
“But we are starting to get into an area where if you think I’m a heel, then I’m already a heel,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes said he was expecting boos when he said he loved hitting Randy Orton with the punt kick, but the crowd cheered. Rhodes defeated Orton with Orton’s own move in a Last Man Standing match at Crown Jewel on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Rhodes appeared on Unsportsmanlike to promote the John Cena Classic, and he was the first entrant Cena announced for the show. It will take place on December 14 as a special episode of Raw from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Rhodes has never worked as a heel since his WWE return at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022, and has won the Undisputed WWE Championship three times since then.