WWE legend makes shocking claim about Cody Rhodes' character; wants to force a massive change
Cody Rhodes has been living a fairytale run since he captured the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania XL. However, wrestling legend Rikishi recently suggested that The American Nightmare may be feeling uncomfortable with his current character and expressed a desire for him to make a significant change soon.
After a six-year absence, Rhodes returned to the sports entertainment giant at WrestleMania 38 in 2022 and transformed from an undesirable wrestler to an undeniable one. Despite previously playing a heel role in his first WWE run and on the independent circuit, the 39-year-old instantly captured the hearts of fans upon his return, becoming a beloved babyface.
On his Off The Top podcast, Rikishi claimed that The American Nightmare is not comfortable being the good guy and believed that he would be successful in a heel character as his in-ring prowess could fully shine in that role. The WWE legend suggested that Cody Rhodes' babyface persona was hindering his potential and predicted a heel turn would unlock his true capabilities.
"I don't think he's [Cody Rhodes] comfortable being a babyface. He does everything, like fantastic in the ring. But it's just something about that kid. The day he turns heel man, I'm going to be happy for him because now he is just going to let loose on everybody," Rikishi said. (From 19:37 to 19:55)
You can watch the entire episode below:
WWE veteran says Cody Rhodes owes his success to one person
The American Nightmare finally finished his story by defeating Roman Reigns at this year's Showcase of the Immortals and has been unstoppable ever since. Meanwhile, legendary commentator Jerry Lawler recently shared his two cents on the massive success of Cody Rhodes in WWE.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Senior Editor Bill Apter, Lawler stated that The American Nightmare owed his success to his late father, Dusty Rhodes, who was a marketing genius. The veteran emphasized Dusty's significant role in propelling the 39-year-old star's career and positioning him as a world champion.
"He owes all of it, where he is today, to his dad," Lawler said. "They used that big time in the marketing and it worked out perfect. Who can say that Dusty wasn't one of the greatest? Especially what he did in marketing. He was the best at that. Oh gosh, I don't even know how to put it, but it put him [Cody Rhodes] in a place where I did not think he would be as the world champion," Lawler said.
Check out the video below:
At the upcoming PLE in Saudi Arabia on November 2, Cody Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE Champion will face Gunther, the World Heavyweight Champion for the Crown Jewel Title.
It remains to be seen which of the two WWE Superstars will become the inaugural Crown Jewel Champion.
Please credit Off The Top and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.