Latest news with #heelTurn
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWE star Cody Rhodes reveals timeline for potential heel turn
The post WWE star Cody Rhodes reveals timeline for potential heel turn appeared first on ClutchPoints. While he has been a babyface since his 2022 return, former WWE Champion Cody Rhodes may eventually undergo a heel turn. Advertisement Speaking to Kay Adams at the 2025 Fanatics Fest, Rhodes revealed he will be a face for at least another year. He seems open to it once he's 'changed.' 'I think you have a good solid year [as a babyface], maybe even three years, because I am not changing until I'm changed, if that makes any sense,' Rhodes explained. But, for now, Rhodes will remain a babyface for the foreseeable future. He will probably have another reign with the Undisputed WWE Championship before turning heel. Will Cody Rhodes turn heel in WWE? It is unknown when Rhodes will turn heel. Rhodes has been a face since his return to WWE in 2022. He remains one of their most popular babyfaces, Advertisement So, it is surprising Rhodes is even open to the idea. He previously played heel characters in his first WWE stint and in AEW. However, he has yet to do so since his reinvention. Currently, he is in the finals of the 2025 King of the Ring tournament. If he beats Randy Orton at Night of Champions, he will earn a championship match opportunity at SummerSlam. More than likely, Rhodes will choose to face Cena. He lost the WWE Championship to Cena at WrestleMania 41. It was a monumental win for Cena, who broke the record for the most recognized world championships in WWE history. The loss ended Rhodes' 378-day reign as WWE Champion. Rhodes won his first world championship at WrestleMania 40, ending Roman Reigns' 1,316-day run as champion. During his reign, Rhodes successfully defended his title against AJ Styles, Logan Paul, and Solo Sikoa. Advertisement Rhodes has won two Royal Rumbles (in 2023 and 2024) since his return. WWE has continued to position him as the face of the company. A heel turn will be shocking if and when it ever happens. Related: Pat McAfee finally explains WWE absence Related: WWE legend Goldberg fires NSFW shot at Gunther
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The D'Amore Drop: In defense of the John Cena heel run
The D'Amore Drop is a weekly guest column on Uncrowned written by Scott D'Amore, the Canadian professional wrestling promoter, executive producer, trainer and former wrestler best known for his long-standing role with TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, where he served as head of creative. D'Amore is the current owner of leading Canadian promotion Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling. I know it's fashionable online to rip on John Cena's heel run, but I think the man is doing fantastic work. Advertisement Before I go on, I get that people were expecting nothing less than the new nWo — with Cena and Rock and their own 'third man,' going on a generation-defining run as the most powerful heels in the game. The historical comparisons to Hulk Hogan were obvious and unavoidable — no heel turn in 30 years has been so long in the making and so unthinkable when it happened. The Hogan/nWo turn is still the gold standard. It's the bar every heel turn has been measured against for the past 30 years. (Though old-timers still shudder when they remember Larry Zbyszko turning on Bruno Sammartino in 1980.) That said, it's not the fans' fault that The Rock was a massive part of Cena's heel turn — literally directing him to take out Cody Rhodes at the Elimination Chamber — and then just vanished and was barely mentioned again. Whatever the reason, Rock was central to the setup but absent from the execution. But if we focus purely on Cena's work, he's been a revelation as a villain. I've loved it — and then came Cena's own 'pipe bomb.' Fourteen years almost to the day after Punk laid out Cena and delivered one of the best promos in WWE history, Cena returned the favor by putting Punk through a table and getting some things off his chest while Punk was left laying, 'as uncomfortably as possible.' Advertisement I loved the promo. It was dramatic, believable and, like you have to be these days, it worked on two levels. Cena stayed fully in heel character, so the fans willing to suspend disbelief could enjoy it in-story. But he also mixed in just enough 'inside baseball' for the smart marks … the fans who like their wrestling with a wink and a nod. One of the first names out of his mouth was Claudio Castagnoli — formerly Cesaro in WWE — who is now under contract with AEW. That got everyone's attention. It was like, 'Whoa — he's not supposed to say that.' Leading with Claudio was genius. I really don't think that promo hits the same if he doesn't lead with the AEW guy. That was the key. Claudio made it feel like a one-off name drop. But then, bang — he follows it up with two guys WWE could actually use: Nick Nemeth, who wrestles for TNA and, of course, TNA has a relationship with WWE; and then he mentioned Matt Cardona, who is the ultimate free agent and has made no secret he'd like to return to WWE before his career is up. Advertisement What Cena did there was offer fantasy matchmaking. He gave fans one name that's impossible, followed by two that are technically very possible. That's genius. It's a tightrope walk to be an effective heel and still give just enough reality for fans who won't fully suspend disbelief but still want to feel something real. Overall, I think Cena's been fantastic in this run. I know that's not a popular opinion in some circles — but too bad. I like what I've seen. Cena's doing excellent work. Cena defends his WWE Universal Title vs. Punk in Saudi Arabia at Night of Champions this Saturday. It is yet another "Cena retirement tour dream match" WWE is delivering … just think of all the crazy things that had to fall into place for this match to actually happen in the middle of 2025. Advertisement Cena should go over. He's holding this title for a while yet. Will John Cena beat CM Punk and retain his title this Saturday? (WWE via Getty Images) I expect Cody Rhodes will win the King of the Ring and challenge Cena at WWE SummerSlam … with the wild card of Seth Rollins holding the Money In The Bank briefcase over the head of the champion. The Queen of the Ring finale pits Asuka — who only just returned from a year out with a serious knee injury — against Jade Cargill in one of her biggest singles matches to date. No prediction on this one, I am just rooting for both women to put on the performances that will elevate them both. Around about this time last year I invited several friends to a Zoom call. Advertisement None of them are names you'd be expected to know, but all of them were vastly experienced pro-wrestling guys — not on-screen talent but award-winning television producers and behind-the-scenes talent who'd done incredible work for WWE, AEW, WCW and even the UFC. They were all close friends of mine, but I started the meeting proper by introducing myself. 'Hello,' I began, 'my name is Scott D'Amore and I have an addiction — it is called pro-wrestling. You all know I am no longer with TNA … but I am not done with pro-wrestling.' In that meeting I told my friends I'd bought the rights to Maple Leaf Wrestling, the historic Canadian promotion, and planned to relaunch it in the modern era as Maple Leaf Pro-Wrestling. All of them wanted to join me, and I'm incredibly proud of the work we've done in the past 12 months — five sell-out shows, great results on pay-per-view and social media. Advertisement And our biggest event yet takes place July 5. After that Zoom call, one of my friends called me directly and asked me why I was prepared to spend (a lot) of my own money to get right back into the pro-wrestling business. At first, I deflected. I pointed out I was going to spend lots of my own money to buy TNA, only for its parent to decline. But the real, honest answer is that I love pro-wrestling and pro-wrestling people. I mean, in real life, what does someone like Don Callis — who's very educated — have to talk about with someone like Tommy Dreamer, a sweetheart who can barely count to five? And yet we are all the same in this one critical aspect: We love this crazy, so-called fake sport that most of the world can't imagine anyone being this interested in. Advertisement Wrestling came to me when I really needed it. In the early '80s my grandfather was in hospital for a while. I wanted to go see him, but hospitals are spooky to a kid, and seeing someone I loved looking so sick, hooked up to scary machines … it was tough. But there was a tiny — remember this was a public hospital in the '80s — TV in the corner, and my grandfather would put pro-wrestling on when I visited. We'd sit there and we'd be transported to a place with larger-than-life characters who weren't afraid, who overcame. It became our thing. Once he was discharged from the hospital, we'd watch wrestling together for the rest of his life. And that's part of what I love about pro wrestling — it brings people together. I always say, when we do what we do right in pro wrestling, we create moments. And moments are meant to be shared. It's parents and kids. Siblings. Best friends. The guy at work who you noticed wearing an nWo shirt. Wrestling creates this sense of community. You experience it together and for a little while, you just escape. Advertisement That's what got me hooked. That's what keeps me hooked. As I said on that Zoom: I am never, ever leaving this business. Have we really gone two whole months without naming Seth Rollins's faction? C'mon Trips, give 'em a name. (WWE via Getty Images) I am very excited to tune into AEW tonight, for Kota Ibushi's first AEW match since 2023 booked for "AEW Dynamite." He is a real-life and on-screen friend of Kenny Omega, and he takes on Don Callis Family member Trent Beretta. Speaking of Kenny Omega, he got a kick out of last week's column showing his uncle, the Golden Sheik, photographed next to Don Callis and his flowing mane of hair. It was interesting, booking-wise, that Jey Uso lost clean again on "WWE Raw," this time to Cody Rhodes. Advertisement Yes, Uso was protected in the loss — kicking out of three Cody Cutters and even giving Rhodes a Cross Rhodes for a near fall — but the fact is this is his second clean loss on the flagship show in two weeks, having lost his WWE World Title via submission to Gunther. You have to trust WWE has a plan for one of the most over performers on their roster. One direction they could go with Uso is for him to be the first major opponent for a heel Cody Rhodes. Cody himself said last week that he's 'coming to the end' of his run as a babyface. Talking to a reporter at the Fanatics Fest he said: 'There's only so much someone can like you. I would love to do it (be a face) until the end of my career but … at a certain point they want to cheer someone else. I get that and that's when you have to change as a character.' Pressed, Cody said he thinks the heel change is about a year or more away… Or maybe he turns heel in time to headline WrestleMania 42 against Jey Uso in Las Vegas next April?
Forbes
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
John Cena Quickly Defeats R-Truth At WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
John Cena continues to perform as a heel despite lackluster performances. (Credit: Georgiana ... More Dallas/WWE via Getty Images) R-Truth finally got his chance to face his 'childhood hero' John Cena at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event 2025, but it didn't end well for the former 24/7 Champion. When John Cena announced his retirement tour last year, hardly anyone had Cena vs. R-Truth on their bingo card of potential matches for Cena on his final run as a WWE star. But a joke started by Truth years ago all led to this: Cena vs. Truth in an unlikely battle between two of WWE's longest-tenured superstars. Inside the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Truth's improbable match against his idol ended in quick fashion as Cena blasted Truth with a low blow behind the referee's back and nailed him with an Attitude Adjustment. One, two, three. It was over almost as quickly as it started. Truth, one of WWE's most beloved stars, unsurprisingly had the Tampa crowd firmly behind him even though Tampa is Cena's adopted hometown. Another shocker: Truth nearly eeked out a win with an AA of his own. Then, Cena kicked out and quickly rebounded with a cheap shot and AA that continued Cena's improbable heel run. With the WWE Universe largely in his corner, Truth was a sentimental favorite heading into WWE Saturday Night's Main Event. But of course, a past-his-prime comedic superstar wasn't going to be the one to end Cena's record-breaking 17th world title reign, no matter how bad Cena's run as a heel has been thus far. Sure, Cena continues to be mostly booed after his unlikely heel turn at WWE Elimination Chamber back in March. Are those jeers, however, a result of Cena being a good villain or the fans hating a character that simply hasn't clicked? Cena has promised time and time again in his repetitive promos that he is back to 'ruin' wrestling. 'The Champ' hasn't exactly done that yet, however, and as Cena has struggled to get a grasp on his heel gimmick, WWE already began planting seeds at Backlash earlier this month hinting at Cena turning back to the babyface side. In the long term, Cena could and should end his career as a beloved fan favorite because, well, this heel shtick simply isn't cutting it. But at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, the creative took another step forward with heel Cena, this time with the Undisputed Champion once again using an underhanded tactic to secure the victory. Indeed, that was the second time in just a few weeks that Cena made quick work of Truth. The first came in memorable fashion at the Backlash post-show press conference, where Cena sent Truth crashing through a table with a massive Attitude Adjustment finisher. Ironically enough, Cena beat Truth the same way at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, only this time without a table involved. It was the exact type of cheap victory fans expected of Cena, who is widely expected to resume his feud with Cody Rhodes and likely drop the WWE title back to 'The American Nightmare' in the not-so-distant future. At this stage of his career as time is running out, Cena really doesn't need to be involved in the world title picture, and in fact, losing that title could be what propels him back to being a fan favorite. At WWE Saturday Night's Main Event in Tampa, the time wasn't right for Cena to lose. Of course, neither was the opponent. There is, however, no shortage of potential rivals for Cena to ultimately drop his title to on a major pay-per-view stage. Whether that's Rhodes, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns or a rising star, Cena should be on borrowed time as world champion, and WWE should make a genuine effort to book something more compelling for Cena going forward. A one-off match with Truth was relatively harmless, but with WWE Saturday Night Main event in the rearview mirror, WWE's next step should be to book Cena in a rivalry that truly matters.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bully Ray Places Blame On One Man For John Cena's Heel Turn Not Working
WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray isn't pulling any punches when it comes to his thoughts on John Cena's current heel turn. On a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray went in-depth on what he believes is the cause of John Cena's heel turn not working out like many people expected it to. Advertisement 'The reason why John Cena's heel turn feels like it didn't 'live up to' its expectations is because we didn't get the conduit and the conjunction between The Rock,' Bully Ray said. 'Without Rock being there, it leaves a giant hole in this whole thing as to why John and The Rock were in the same place at the same time at Elimination Chamber. It's not like The Rock gave the throat slash to a hard camera or to a side of the arena of fans; he gave the throat slash to John Cena, basically implying that he was telling John Cena what to do. 'We don't get The Rock. That lets everybody so down that John beating Cody is just like I don't care. It doesn't matter to me. You got your 17[th world title] because you left this massive piece of the puzzle out.' [H/T: Wrestling Inc.] Following WrestleMania 41, The Rock appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to explain his absence from the event. You can check out his puzzling comments by clicking here. READ MORE: Randy Orton Explains Why WWE Backlash Match With John Cena Will Be Different Advertisement What do you make of Bully Ray's comments? Do you think The Rock's absence following John Cena's heel turn has hurt the overall presentation of his character? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below. The post Bully Ray Places Blame On One Man For John Cena's Heel Turn Not Working appeared first on Wrestlezone.
