Just about every wrestling fan on the planet was invested in Cody Rhodes finishing his story at WrestleMania 40, but the title reign that followed was hampered by a lack of exciting and believable challengers on SmackDown.
The American Nightmare's feud with John Cena did him few favours, especially as the heel Cena was quick to tell fans just how "uncool" Rhodes is. Since then, many audience members have cooled towards the Undisputed WWE Champion, with him drawing boos from some crowds.
When the same thing happened in AEW, Rhodes persisted with remaining a babyface. Could he choose a different path in WWE? As of now, he's happy to continue being himself, even if it means polarising reactions.
"There’s this whole discussion on, like, when is he gonna turn heel. I’m open to it, gosh, but when that’s the plan, that’s the plan. Right now, I get to be me, and me makes the decisions I think are the appropriate decisions," Rhodes explained. "Appropriateness sometimes gets you booed. But I’d rather be that in the end."
Like Cena before him, Rhodes is hugely popular with younger WWE fans, and the company doesn't have anyone ready to step up and take his position as top babyface. With that in mind, it seems we can expect him to stick with his current persona for the foreseeable future.
During another recent interview, the SmackDown Superstar—who faces Gunther at this Sunday's Clash in Italy PLE–opened up on WWE's recent spate of retirements:
"I don’t want any more retirements. We’re saying goodbye way too much to too many people. AJ is incredible; he’s one of the few people who wrestled not just me but me, my brother, and my dad. He’s really a game-changing type of performer. I love how WWE did it and the inclusion of The Undertaker, which was a complete surprise to everyone, to then say, 'You’re going to the Hall Of Fame.'"
"It was a really beautiful way to go out. I mean, it’s never easy. To see John tap out, to see AJ go down like that, Gunther is really turning into the career killer. It’s more than just a moniker. Hopefully, someone can put an end to that. I don’t want any retirements for a while; let’s do debuts. New blood, new beginnings."
You can hear more from Rhodes in the player below and stay tuned for updates on Clash in Italy.