Cody Rhodes Thinks a Heel Turn Might Look Differently for Him, Discusses a Possible Pairing With Paul Heyman

WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes joined ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike this week. During the conversation, Cody Rhodes was asked about a potential heel turn for his character. Cody suggested that a heel turn might look different for him. Below are some highlights (via Fightful):

Cody Rhodes on a Potential Heel Turn and Alliance With Paul Heyman

“Very interesting. I have a unique relationship with Mr. Heyman because of, his relationship with my dad and he actually just came on my podcast. It’s going to air, I think the week after Thanksgiving, but there’s more exposition in that for, cause people ask me all the time. People ask me all the time why we get along. He has a really unique relationship and reputation and in sports entertainment pro wrestling, and in the pod, we talked a lot about why it is, and there’s a sense of loyalty.”

On Whether He’s Open To a Heel Turn

“I’m really open to, that’s the biggest thing that I tell people all the time with, you’re going to make that shift and you’re going to go heel or you stay babyface, whatever it is, whatever’s best for WWE to be. But we are starting to get into an area where if you think I’m a heel, then I’m already a heel. If you think I’m, you know, and I don’t, I’m not trying to make it so that you can’t get what you want, but if you think I’m a heel, I might already be a heel because we have a whole other side of it that doesn’t think that. So it’s very- prime example. I went out there the other night. Where were we Friday? Wherever we were, and I said, I loved punting Randy Orton. I loved it, and I tried to put a little like growl in it. I loved it, and they just cheered, and I thought, ‘Oh, I thought they were going to boo.'”

On How a Heel Turn Would Look for Him

“So that’s the beautiful thing about our fans. You really, there’s no wrong way to be a fan. You can’t guess which direction. To hit it on the head a little more specifically, if something like Heyman or someone else, me as a heel would take a lot away from what I currently do, and it would probably add in its own way. I don’t want to say it’s different. I think it looks different than people think. I think here I am very worried about this Team Mexico, Team USA, the diplomacy involved.

“I don’t know if a bad version of me would be as worried, and in 2026 going on 2027… you get a lot of outrage, a lot of cancellations. Heel Cody I don’t think makes it on UnSportsmanlike. Yeah, because you know everyone’s got that in them, and then you start saying some of the things you think out loud, and it’s like, ooh. I’m very open to it. I think everyone in creative always, you know, Triple H is the one guiding the ship here, and 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.”

It’s unknown whether WWE will pull the trigger on a genuine heel turn for Cody Rhodes anytime soon. At last weekend’s WWE Crown Jewel 2026, Cody Rhodes defeated his bitter rival, Randy Orton, in a Last Man Standing Match, using Orton’s own patented punt kick.

Is @CodyRhodes gearing up for a heel turn?

– @EvCoRadio raises the possibility of Cody and @HeymanHustle teaming up.
– Cody as a heel may look different from what people expect… pic.twitter.com/f73hKEVTen

— UNSPORTSMANLIKE (@UnSportsESPN) November 11, 2026