Cody Rhodes has finally done it. He finally hit Randy Orton with a punt kick.
After months of tension, Rhodes went to war against his former mentor, Randy Orton, in a Last Man Standing match at WWE Crown Jewel on November 7 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His match opened the show, and both the superstars delivered an entertaining bout. After minutes of back-and-forth, Cody Rhodes put an end to the match after hitting Randy with a devastating punt kick.
Cody had been hesitating to punt kick Randy for a long time, but his big move at Crown Jewel strongly hints that he’s kicked off his heel turn journey in WWE. Rhodes returned to WWE in 2022 as a babyface and hasn’t fully turned heel yet.
Should WWE pull the trigger on his long-awaited heel turn, it will open up endless fascinating narrative possibilities for the Stamford-based promotion. That said, here are the top three superstars Cody Rhodes could go up against as a true heel.
1. Randy Orton
Cody Rhodes finally proved to Randy Orton that he can tap into his dark side if push comes to shove. Although The American Nightmare beat The Viper at Crown Jewel, it feels like their rivalry is far from over. Throughout their feud, fans rallied behind Orton as if he were the babyface. WWE can use this to whip up an angle and give fans what they want: a heel Cody against a babyface Orton.
2. Sami Zayn
After wrapping up his feud with Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes could pursue the Undisputed Championship, which he lost to Sami Zayn a few months ago at WWE Night of Champions in June 2026. Fans have been wanting a classic “pure underdog babyface vs. arrogant corporate heel” for a while now.
A lot of superstars are vying for a title shot at Zayn’s Undisputed Championship. But WWE can portray Cody’s “golden boy” persona as someone who oversteps everyone in the locker room to get to the front of the line in the number 1 contender race, generating more heat in the process.
3. Roman Reigns
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns gave the WWE Universe a feud that they will remember for ages. The classic babyface vs. heel storyline where Cody was the babyface chasing the title from heel Reigns. If and when Cody Rhodes turns heel in WWE, Triple H could build a blockbuster storyline by bringing back the two megastars once again and reigniting their rivalry.
Rumors of Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns III have been swirling on the internet for a long time, and WWE could make it happen at next year’s WrestleMania 43. WWE can flip the script, and this time, Cody can be the heel, and Reigns can be the babyface.
