Report: WWE's The Rock Originally Wanted Cody Rhodes To Turn Heel

Good guy, bad guy. Who's keeping track? Everyone who witnessed the ultimate "holy s***" moment on March 1 at the Elimination Chamber, that's who. No soul-snatching shenanigans were at play (or so we thought) as the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes stayed true to himself and his fans worldwide by telling Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to "go f*** himself" after a bizarre offer weeks earlier. However, the rejection by Rhodes did not conclude what has now become an unmissable saga leading up to WrestleMania 41.

According to this week's edition of the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter," The Rock initially wanted the "American Nightmare" to turn heel before his title defense against John Cena on April 19 or 20. Reports suggest that those within WWE believed that a heel turn by Rhodes before "The Grandest Stage of Them All" would have negatively impacted the company and the legacy Rhodes has built since finishing his story and winning the title last year. Clearly, a heel persona for Rhodes isn't unprecedented; he has successfully embodied that role before, both briefly as his alter ego Stardust and during his time with the infamous king of bad guys, the BULLET CLUB.

Also, Dave Meltzer noted that the overall sentiment is that the current crowd supports Rhodes. It was also stated that after Rhodes turned down the idea of turning heel, Cena became the company's second choice. However, this was a difficult decision because Meltzer believed CM Punk would revert to his former villainous role; nevertheless, this topic was never mentioned as the conversation concluded once the former 16-time World Champion agreed. Cena was the company's most effective babyface during the Ruthless Aggression, PG, Reality, and New Era, holding the role for an astonishing 7,786 days (21 years, three months, and 23 days from November 6, 2003, to March 1, 2025). With Cena's once-pure spirit now firmly under the unyielding grasp of "The Final Boss," we will see next month whether selling his soul to the devil pays off and marks a historic moment in Cena's career.