SummerSlam: 4 reasons why Cody Rhodes will not turn heel at WWE SummerSlam

The latest episode of SmackDown saw John Cena revert to a babyface in a powerful promo, and this has sparked buzz about his upcoming SummerSlam Street Fight clash against Cody Rhodes. Talks about the latter turning heel during the premium live event grew even more due to this recent development, though several signs still indicate otherwise.

As one of WWE’s top good guys, all signs point to him staying true to his hero-like persona. This article explores four reasons why WWE’s American Nightmare is unlikely to embrace a heel persona during The Biggest Party of the Summer.

#4. Cody Rhodes is still one of WWE's most marketable babyfaces

Cody Rhodes with a young fan (Image credits: wwe.com)

What happens when wrestlers get too selfish? - Watch Here!

As mentioned, Cody Rhodes has been one of WWE’s top babyfaces since returning to the promotion in 2022. The fan reception when he walked in for his recent promo with John Cena during the last edition of SmackDown further reinforced such an appeal.

His emotional speeches about fighting for the fans and his goal of reclaiming the Undisputed WWE Championship got the crowd hyped up, which shows his strong connection with his fanbase.

Another thing worth noting is that Rhodes’ merchandise sales, social media buzz, and his appeal to the fanbase make him an important figure in the promotion’s marketing.

#3. Allows another babyface to turn heel instead

Mentor and mentee. (Image credits: wwe.com)

Cody Rhodes staying a babyface at this year’s SummerSlam leaves a window of opportunity for another top-tier Superstar like Randy Orton to turn heel.

The 14-time world champion has been one of the fan favorites in WWE and also has a long history of being a top heel. His recent loss at the King of the Ring Tournament finals and teaming up with Jelly Roll in a losing effort against Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul at Night One of this year’s SummerSlam hints at a potential frustration that could lead to him reverting to his villainous character.

The WWE creative team could cook up fresh feuds for Orton, as this could unfold during the aforementioned PLE’s second night during Rhodes and John Cena’s Street Fight match for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

#2. WWE could be saving the Cody Rhodes heel turn for a third match against Roman Reigns

Saving a Cody Rhodes heel turn for another major storyline could be another reason why WWE is keeping him a babyface. Paul “Triple H” Levesque could be setting him up for a third encounter with Roman Reigns, rather than flipping him during his championship match against John Cena at this year’s SummerSlam.

The August 1 episode of SmackDown showed a seemingly happy Rhodes as he witnessed The Never Seen 17 coming to his senses and promised The American Nightmare that he would be facing the real and best version of John Cena at SummerSlam. Cody even went on to pop open a couple of cold ones before leaving the ring for Cena to have his moment with the WWE Universe. It could be an indication that creative is looking to extend Cody Rhodes’ current babyface persona until the right time for him to turn heel.

Rhodes and Reigns’ WrestleMania 39 and 40 encounters were indeed blockbuster moments, and a third clash could hinge on Cody turning heel, especially now that Roman has returned as a babyface.

Let’s just hope that The OTC continues to appear on live TV post-SummerSlam.

#1. John Cena is starting to click as a heel; there's no point in turning him face

As mentioned in the previous entry, John Cena shocked wrestling fans when he turned babyface during the latest edition of SmackDown. While most of the fandom cheers him on after becoming a good guy again, there are still some who are not convinced, believing that his promo with Cody Rhodes could just be a ruse.

The heel Cena was a heat magnet, as was evident with every promo that he cut and match that he delved into. Further, a face turn prior to their Street Fight match at SummerSlam seemed premature to some fans and pundits.

To that end, keeping Rhodes as a babyface ensures their upcoming match has a clear good-guy-bad-guy narrative. Are we going to witness another swerve on Night 2 of The Biggest Party of the Summer when Cena reveals that he never left the dark side? We will soon find out.

About the author

Erwin is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda. He previously worked as a Customer Care Representative for Teletech, APAC, and Steller Global Solutions, and as a writer and contributor at Blasting News, before his lifelong passion for pro wrestling led him to his current role at Sportskeeda in 2021.

Erwin has many favorite wrestlers due to their personalities; he likes Stone Cold Steve Austin because of his edginess; Brock Lesnar for his intimidating aura; Orange Cassidy because he doesn't have a catchphrase; and Darby Allin due to his high-risk maneuvers.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Erwin would wish to manage Stone Cold Steve Austin, and to convince the Hall of Famer, he would say, "Now that you got rid of Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, it sure did put the entire locker room on notice, including boss Vince. You, my friend, just ushered in a new era in this company, and I'm here to give you a hand.”

Erwin ensures to thoroughly check information for accuracy before using it in his articles. Apart from watching pro wrestling, Cruz enjoys playing video games and cooking for his family.

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Edited by Kebin Edwin Antony