Cody Rhodes Addresses Long-awaited Heel Turn on WWE SmackDown, Teases Taking the Dark Path

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In response, Cody Rhodes discussed how being a good guy in WWE had led him to several high-profile victories since his return at WrestleMania 38. He also talked about taking the torch from John Cena after besting him at last year’s SummerSlam.

“I knew who I was and I was uncompromised. And uncompromised got me back-to-back Royal Rumble wins. Uncompromised got me two victories over Brock Lesnar, who can say that? Uncompromised got me to defeat a champion who hadn’t been beat in four years. And then we go to SummerSlam [2025] against the greatest of all time, my mentor, John Cena, and I didn’t ask for the torch, I took it. And then this year at WrestleMania, I defeated Randy Orton, no matter how I looked when I walked out of there,” Cody Rhodes said.

At Sunday Night’s Main Event, Cody Rhodes had the chance to hit Orton with a Punt Kick and exact revenge. However, The American Nightmare showed mercy, which cost him a potential win over The Viper. Reflecting on the loss, Rhodes said he would not make the same mistake again. The former Undisputed WWE Champion teased taking the dark path to defeat his rival.

“I’m amused at the fact that I need to change. But credit to your question, that situation is going to come up again. And when it does, I’m not going to make the same decision I made at Sunday Night’s Main Event,” Rhodes added.

It will be interesting to see if the second-generation wrestler finally turns heel as part of his heated rivalry with Orton.