In 2018, my wife and I attended New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Strong Style Evolved in Long Beach, our first NJPW show. Time has blurred some memories, but Cody Rhodes being the most hated man in the building still stands out.
At the time, that was a compliment because he was a heel. Today, as WWE crowds turn on “The American Nightmare” just as AEW fans once did, that same reaction feels like an indictment.
Over the years, I’ve written several critical pieces about Rhodes. That might suggest bias, but really,
it says two things. First, it reflects my frustration with his presentation, which I think many share, because Rhodes seems best suited to be a bad guy.
If WWE were the movie Die Hard, Rhodes is currently cast as protagonist John McClane. In reality, he should be Hans Gruber.
Gruber, played by Alan Rickman, was a polished thief with sharp lines and impeccable suits who bragged about “the benefits of a classical education.” McClane, played by Bruce Willis, was a blue-collar cop who spoke and dressed like the common man.
Switching characters might have made the movie good, but not iconic. Gruber wouldn’t have had the same impact as a slick officer, nor would McClane work as a street-tough terrorist. In so many ways, Rhodes is just like Hans: charismatic, polished, and articulate. Ironically, his father, Dusty Rhodes, would make the perfect McClane.
The second thing my criticism shows is that Rhodes excites me. He may not be a traditional heel (yet), but his persona gives me a reason to root for the other guy. In that way, he reminds me of Roman Reigns. When Reigns terrorized WWE as its premier heel, fans desperately wanted anyone to unseat him. Rhodes creates that same tension, and because he is so talented, it makes for compelling TV.
It may seem pretentious to suggest I know what’s best for Rhodes or WWE. As he is, the company is making money hand over fist. Still, I wonder if turning him heel and torching the audience wouldn’t generate even more.
From what I saw in Long Beach, fans literally wanted to rip Cody to shreds. Joined by his wife, Brandi, he was the definition of a heat magnet. Building on that to become a more smug, gaslighting, self-absorbed, tone deaf evil-doer, Rhodes could fill a spark WWE currently lacks: a truly contemptible villain.
If there’s one thing his run as a babyface in AEW and WWE has shown, he is likable, but not for long. But as a heel, he is the guy you love to hate. Always.
That’s not to say he can’t ever be a babyface against. Some of wrestling’s greatest heroes had epic heel runs: Flair, Savage, Austin. Sometimes, to make the audience love a character, you have to let them get their hate out. Reigns proves this today: fans hated him as a good guy, loathed him more as a heel, and now love him wholeheartedly, even as CM Punk reminds them of his past sins.
Last week, Rhodes addressed the boos he’s been receiving, telling Chris Van Vliet that he’s honored to be considered polarizing and adding, “I don’t care that you boo me because I’ve seen what you cheer.” This suggests he is content to play a polarizing babyface, a path others have blazed. It works, but it’s safe.
And that’s too bad. For all the criticism, by myself and others, Rhodes is a marvelous performer. No one reaches the top of the biggest wrestling company in the world without being great. And make no mistake about it: Cody Rhodes is great.
But legends don’t play it safe. They swing for the fences. Sometimes they hit a grand slam, like Hulk Hogan breaking bad in 1996. Other times, they strike out, like Steve Austin in 2001. Still, their risk didn’t hurt their respective brands as a result of their characters’ change in philosophy.
Recently, I wrote that Rhodes, not Randy Orton, should have turned heel before their WrestleMania showdown. Some readers responded by suggesting a double turn in Las Vegas. While it could get messy, a strong follow-up and plausible explanation by Rhodes could make it work.
Of course, comparing Rhodes to Gruber calls to mind how Die Hard ends. Unlike Gruber’s demise, a great heel’s fall in pro wrestling is cushioned by a boatload of money and a strong babyface run that yields bigger bucks and exciting television.
Here’s hoping Cody Rhodes embraces his inner Hans Gruber at WrestleMania.
Yippee-ki-yay, American Nightmare.
