The Rock reportedly had a different idea for the main event of WrestleMania 41. "The Final Boss" popped up on John Cena to shockingly turn heel and align himself with his old rival.
But according to the latest Rhodes will defend his WWE Championship against Cena in the main event of WrestleMania 41 on April 20 in Las Vegas.
When Will Cody Rhodes Turn Heel?
Not Right Now, But It's Not As Crazy Of An Idea As You Might Think
While the idea of turning Cena heel was a pipe dream for the better part of two decades, eventually turning Rhodes heel isn't nearly as far-fetched. "The American Nightmare" spent the bulk of his first WWE run as a heel, he gladly played the villain for most of his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring of Honor, and he even started leaning into negative reactions from fans during the latter half of his time with All Elite Wrestling.
5 Moments When WWE Foreshadowed Cena's Heel Turn (That You Probably Missed)
While John Cena ing The Rock and turning heel on Cody Rhodes was shocking, WWE had been dropping hints for quite some time.
Rhodes even started showing a more sinister side to his character in his storyline right before The Rock's return. His title defense at January's Royal Rumble event saw him beat Kevin Owens in a brutal ladder match, which ended with him boldly gloating over an unconscious Owens while Sami Zayn looked on in horror.
Our Take: WWE Dodged A Bullet
Turning Cena Heel Instead Of Rhodes Proved To Be The Right Call
While WWE can get away with turning Rhodes heel eventually (the Homelander comparisons write themselves), choosing to turn Cena instead was the correct choice. It finally gave WrestleMania 41 the momentum it was desperately lacking and fans are still buzzing about Cena's turn nearly a full week later. On top of that, the fanbase is still ironically ive of Rhodes as the company's top guy, something that's incredibly difficult to acquire in the modern wrestling landscape.
WWE Icon "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Questions John Cena's Heel Turn Ahead Of WrestleMania 41: "Has He Turned Himself More Babyface
WWE icon Austin wonders aloud if Cena's turn will generate louder cheers from WWE fans.
The choice also shows how WWE can learn from past mistakes. When the company chose to turn Steve Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven it effectively killed the Attitude Era - mostly because there was no one ready to fill Austin's role. Turning Rhodes too quickly could have the same effect on WWE's current era, so consider this move a bullet dodged.
