Cody Rhodes Saying “No” To This Has Already Saved WWE WrestleMania 41

At the Elimination Chamber PLE, WWE delivered the most shocking heel turn since Hulk Hogan destroyed Hulkamania by turning to the dark side at WCW Bash at the Beach 1996 and forming the nWo with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. It has given wrestling fans exactly what they’ve wanted to see for over two decades, with Cena, who kept the same character for twenty-plus years, turning heel in the last year of his wrestling career. It can allow him to do some of his best work ever and go in a character direction we’ve never seen before, but it nearly never happened. According to a report, WWE first went to Cody Rhodes and asked if he’d like to turn heel and join The Rock. The American Nightmare said no, allowing John Cena to say yes when he was approached. Cody’s answer has saved WrestleMania and everything to come after.

Cody Rhodes Declined To Turn Heel Ahead Of WrestleMania 41

John Cena Agreed To Give Fans What They’ve Been Waiting To See

• John Cena is retiring from wrestling at the end of 2025.
• The Rock demanded that Cody Rhodes give him his soul.
• Cody Rhodes was given a choice about his creative direction.

When John Cena announced that 2025 would be his last year in wrestling, he became the favorite to face Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. If it was going to be his last Show of Shows, the biggest of dream matches had to happen. Still, how WWE got there was quite bizarre. On a recent SmackDown, The Rock returned, first giving a rambling corporate babyface promo before calling out Cody Rhodes and demanding to be given his soul, with a decision to be given at Elimination Chamber. For days, fans would now wonder if the American Nightmare would sell out and turn heel to join the Final Boss.

As it turns out, this was more than just a storyline, but alluded to a real-life choice, because, according to Fightful Select, WWE approached Cody Rhodes with the idea. Fighttful wrote:

“Fightful Select had heard earlier this week that Cody was pitched and passed on a heel turn. To be clear, the only element of the report we can confirm is the pitched and rejected heel turn. After that, we’re told that Cena was pitched to and agreed to the heel turn, and The Rock was “all in” on making the story happen.”

One very important part of this was that Cody Rhodes was given a creative choice. WWE could have told Cody Rhodes that he was turning heel, and he’d have to do it, but they respect him and what he means to the company so much that they let it be his decision.

Cody Rhodes Turning Heel Wouldn’t Have Made Sense

A John Cena Heel Turn Shows How Desperate He Is To Be WWE Champion

• Cody Rhodes looked bad for even considering the Final Boss’ offer.
• The American Nightmare already has everything and The Rock can’t help him.
• John Cena will do anything to break Ric Flair’s championship record.

Cody Rhodes has been a great heel in the past and could be once again, but he made the right choice to say no right now. It would have made zero sense why the American Nightmare would turn heel. In fact, just the SmackDown promo with The Rock made Cody look bad. There he was, looking confused, almost to the point of tears, when he shouldn’t have thought about it for even a second. Cody Rhodes is already the WWE Champion and the most loved wrestler on the planet. There was nothing The Rock could offer him. Even Seth Rollins and CM Punk were frustrated with him. Thankfully, at Elimination Chamber, Cody saved face by not only rejecting the Final Boss, but doing so forcefully by saying, “Hey, Rock, go f**k yourself!”

It was perfect to instead let John Cena turn heel. Giving him a nostalgic babyface run in his final year would have had fans cheering, but it also would have been lazy and predictable. But will you ever forget him turning heel? Unlike with Cody Rhodes, it also makes sense from a storyline perspective. John Cena is older and on a losing streak. He’s in his last year and if he wins the title one more time, he will break Ric Flair’s record, officially making him the greatest of all-time. It’s understandable that he would become so desperate that he’d see joining The Rock as the only way to make it happen. That’s a much more compelling story.

Cody Rhodes Is The Ultimate Babyface WWE Has Been Seeking

It Would Be Hard To Recapture What Cody Rhodes Has Achieved

• Cody Rhodes is the biggest babyface WWE has had in years.
• Fans support Cody Rhodes even when his feuds aren’t that great.
• There is no one else who could be the face of WWE like Cody Rhodes is.

Cody Rhodes as a heel facing a babyface John Cena at WrestleMania 41 still would have been a fun story. Cena could have defeated Rhodes, despite help from The Rock, and had one more feel-good moment. But then what? Cena is only working a few dozen dates this year. Do we want to return to the era of part-time champions?

Worse is the long-term effect it would have had on Cody Rhodes and WWE itself. Since the days of Steve Austin and The Rock, WWE has been looking for that beloved face of the company. Cena was the face of WWE for many years, but half of the fans hated him. Making Roman Reigns a dull babyface went the same way if not worse. Cody Rhodes is very different. His ascent has been natural, and every fan loves him, from the hardcore, older fans, to kids and families. He’s been WWE Champion for a year and the ovations for him haven’t diminished. Even when he’s put in mediocre feuds, the audience hasn’t turned on him. He can do no wrong.

If Cody Rhodes turned heel, they would have lost something they sought so long to find, and there’s no answer as to who the new face of WWE would be. CM Punk is right there, but with his age and injury history, he’s not a long-term solution, and no younger star is even near that level. WWE could have simply had Rhodes turn face again a few months after WrestleMania and have him apologize, but the damage would be done. Maybe we’d cheer for him again, but it wouldn’t be the same as it was before. Cody Rhodes will turn heel again one day, but once WWE does it, there is no going back to the way things were before. Today, it’s much too soon to even consider it.