4 reasons why Cody Rhodes shouldn't accept The Rock's offer on WWE SmackDown

The Rock shocked the world yesterday on WWE Friday Night SmackDown. He made a major announcement but also proceeded to lay down one of the more intriguing cliffhangers in modern wrestling history.

The Brahma Bull called out Cody Rhodes. He proceeded to wax eloquent about The American Nightmare before making him a shocking offer. He wants Cody to become his champion. More specifically, he wants him to be The Final Boss' corporate champion, who carries out his bidding, in exchange for unimaginable success.

The Rock even went as far as to say that he wants Cody's soul. This has left many wondering if The American Nightmare will accept The Final Boss' offer and sell his soul for potential greatness or keep on the path he's on.

While it remains unclear as to what Cody will do, he should not accept this offer. Doing so would be a mistake for a number of reasons. This article will look at several of those.

Below are four reasons why Cody Rhodes shouldn't accept The Rock's offer on WWE SmackDown:

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#4. Cody Rhodes is too popular for WWE to turn heel

Cody Rhodes is a hugely popular WWE Superstar. He returned to the sports entertainment juggernaut to much hype in 2022 and has only become more of a fan favorite over the next three years.

There is a clear connection between Cody and the WWE Universe. Kids adore him, but adults also love and respect the talented champion. He sells a ton of merchandise and the live audience always goes berserk when his music hits.

If Cody were to turn heel and join The Rock, he would lose out on this connection with the audience. Kids would no longer have Cody as a hero to look up to. Jaded adults might also not appreciate an alliance with The Final Boss. Regardless, he is too popular, and giving up that connection would appear pointless.

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#3. The move wouldn't make sense from a story perspective

WWE under Triple H has been a massive improvement in a number of ways. One of the most significant improvements is that most stories make a lot of sense. Even if in the moment something seems off, there is usually a good explanation that is made clear eventually.

The Rock, unfortunately, seems to be the exception to this rule. Much of what he does is seemingly odd. Trying to take Cody's WrestleMania spot last year, his return at Bad Blood that went nowhere, and his babyface turn on the WWE RAW Netflix premiere are examples of strange Rock-related inconsistencies.

Given that The Rock and Cody Rhodes are meant to be enemies, Cody joining him just doesn't make sense. It goes against the story being told for the past year and it just upsets fans. If fans feel a story is worthless or insulting their intelligence, they might stop watching altogether.

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#2. Someone like John Cena or CM Punk would be more interesting

Cody Rhodes as The Rock's corporate champion would certainly be fun. In some ways, The American Nightmare is already an ideal corporate champion. The Undisputed WWE Title holder dresses in expensive suits and is always well-groomed, and he certainly packs a punch on the mic.

However, a different star taking such a spot might be even more interesting. For example, CM Punk is so far from corporate that a corporate Punk would be fascinating to watch. Plus, the WWE Superstar did warn Cody he'd stab him in the front.

Alternatively, John Cena could finally turn heel for the first time in over 20 years to become a corporate man. Given that he keeps using the phrasing "best for business," there is at least a chance this happens. That too would be more intriguing than Cody Rhodes at this point.

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#1. Cody refusing The Rock's offer sets up a future match

The final reason why Cody Rhodes should decline The Rock's offer is for the chance of a blockbuster match down the line. WWE fans want to see Rhodes vs. Rocky one-on-one and the best way to get there is by having The American Nightmare decline The Final Boss' offer.

Of course, they could still get there even if he accepts. The two could have tension and eventually split up. However, that would be even more convoluted, and who knows how long that could take.

WWE could have Cody Rhodes decline The Rock's offer. From there, The Final Boss could attack Rhodes out of anger. This could then set up the two going one-on-one at a premium live event. This would be the best and most exciting immediate option available.