Cody Rhodes to turn heel and introduce a shocking new character at WWE Night of Champions? Exploring the possibility
After making his return at Saturday Night's Main Event, Cody Rhodes has his sights set on reclaiming the Undisputed WWE Championship. The American Nightmare qualified for the King of the Ring semi-finals on last week's SmackDown, taking him one step closer to an eventual title shot.
While he has to get through two more matches in the tournament to earn a title shot, Rhodes already holds a pinfall victory over John Cena, which could come into play. Amid recent developments, Cody Rhodes could shock the world at Night of Champions by turning to the dark side and introducing a new character.
The trailer of the movie 'The Naked Gun' was recently released, and fans were quick to spot The American Nightmare in it. Everyone was excited to see Rhodes being a part of a mainstream project. In an interesting possibility, to capitalize on this buzz, Rhodes may adopt a Hollywood character if he turns heel.
Many WWE Superstars have branched out to Hollywood, and some even brought elements of the film industry to their on-screen character. Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and The Miz are some of the notable names who brought a villainous Hollywood side to their WWE personas upon branching out. Cody Rhodes could join this list soon, as his movie is set to be released on August 1.
Earlier this year, The Rock had an interesting proposition for Cody Rhodes, in which The Final Boss asked The American Nightmare for his soul. While Rhodes turned the offer down, he recently mentioned that it was still on the table. The 39-year-old could reconsider his decision and accept The Rock's offer in the coming weeks.
Rhodes could be up against either Randy Orton or Sami Zayn if he made his way to the final of the King of the Ring tournament. Many fans believe we could see Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton in the final, with The Viper turning on his long-time friend. However, WWE could pull off a swerve and have Rhodes turn on The Apex Predator with the help of The Rock at Night of Champions, marking a character shift for The American Nightmare.
If The American Nightmare aligns with The Rock, he could take a few pages out of The Final Boss' notebook and add a Hollywood touch to his character. Rhodes may even revert to sporting dark hair. Fans have been waiting for The American Nightmare to turn heel since his time in AEW, and we could finally see it happening soon.
A heel turn would prevent Rhodes' character from getting stale and introduce an opportunity for a star like Jey Uso or LA Knight to step up and become the top babyface of the company. That said, this scenario is only speculative, and nothing has been confirmed. Fans will have to wait and see what the future has in store for Cody Rhodes in the Stamford-based promotion.
WWE veteran criticizes Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton qualifying for the KOTR tournament
While speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's BroDown, former WWE writer Vince Russo discussed Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton securing a spot in the semi-finals of the KOTR tournament. Russo believed the reason WWE chose Rhodes and Orton to win their respective matches was because the promotion did not have any other stars who were over with the audience.
"This just goes to show you everything we are talking about. At this point in their careers, where they are on the card, does Randy Orton or Cody Rhodes really need to be winning King of the Ring? This just shows you that nobody is over. They keep going back to the same people," said Russo.
The stage is set for the semi-finals of the King of the Ring tournament. It will be interesting to see who punches their ticket to the final and eventually earns a title shot at Night of Champions.
