"If a guy brought that up in a creative session, he'd be fired" - Veteran warns about a WWE decision for Cody Rhodes (Exclusive)
It took him years, but Cody Rhodes is finally one of WWE's most prized superstars and babyfaces. As far a heel turn is concerned, Dutch Mantell felt like whoever even pitches the idea now might probably be shown the door.
Fans saw a rare sight on SmackDown this week as Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns seemingly got on the same page to tackle Solo Sikoa and his henchmen. While Reigns might also be a babyface now in the storyline, Rhodes has held the mantle of being WWE's top hero for the past couple of years.
While a section of the fans would love to see a villainous Cody Rhodes, Dutch Mantell recently noted why it wasn't a smart business decision. Mantell is glad that WWE is now under the creative control of a booker who actually listened to the crowd and hoped Triple H would not turn Cody. Furthermore, Dutch claimed that anyone who proposed a heel turn for Rhodes would not get a favorable response in creative meetings:
"Imagine that: A booker actually listening to the crowd? 'Oh no, hell, Cody is over, let's turn him heel' (...) He is too big of a moneymaker to even discuss that. If a guy brought that up in a creative session, I think he'd be fired immediately." [From 35:42 to 36:15]
Smack Talk host Rick Ucchino noted that Roman Reigns' resurgence happened because of a timely heel turn years ago. Dutch Mantell, however, argued that Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns were different personalities.
"But Cody is not Roman. There is a difference there. There is a difference." [From 36:22 to 36:28]
Check out the entire episode below:
Cody and Roman will be on the same team at Bad Blood, and their match against Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa might not have a straightforward ending given the magnitude of the showdown.
Please credit Smack Talk and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription while using any quotes from this article.