5 Reasons Cody Is Better As A Babyface (& 5 He Is Better As A Heel)
Cody Rhodes is one of those guys who has been both a face and a heel for significant portions of his career. And he has enjoyed success in both roles, but fans have to wonder which role he is truly better in.
Currently the TNT Champion on AEW, there is a very distinct possibility that he could turn in the very near future. He has been excellent in his role as a leading face in the company as well though. But was he a better character during his dashing days? Without further ado, let's see if the American Nightmare is better as a heel or a hero?
10 Heel: He Is An Authority Figure
Cody is an executive vice president of All Elite Wrestling. And it is no secret that he holds a lot of power behind the scenes. Historically though, authority figures have never made great babyfaces because of how hard it is for the common man to cheer for them.
At the end of the day, fans want to see the evil boss get their comeuppance at the hands of an underdog who he has tried to hold back. That is what forces fans to switch on the television every single week. If you do not believe us, just ask Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon.
9 Babyface: He Is Probably The Top Babyface In AEW
Truth be told, there are not too many top level babyfaces in AEW at the moment. There are Kenny Omega and Adam Page but you never know when one is going to turn to the dark side. Jon Moxley is more of an anti-hero. While it might be too early to push either Jungle Boy or Darby Allin into the main event picture.
Thus, Cody might very well be the top babyface in the company right now. And turning him heel at this point of time will leave a huge hole on the roster.
8 Heel: His Incredible Past Runs As A Heel
All things considered, WWE did not use Cody to the best of his abilities during his time in the WWE which lasted almost a decade. He did have some pretty decent periods when it looked like he was going to be one of the breakout stars of the future. All of them came as a heel.
His run as part of Legacy along with Randy Orton and Ted Dibiase was perhaps his most memorable in the company. While his time as "Dashing" Cody Rhodes is perhaps the best work he has ever done as a singles wrestler.
7 Babyface: He Is The Son Of Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes is one of the greatest babyfaces in the history of professional wrestling. "The American Dream" perhaps connected with the common wrestling fan better than anyone ever managed to. As a result, people fondly remember the then-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion to this day.
It goes without saying that the Rhodes name carries a lot of weight in the wrestling industry. Fans will probably always have a soft spot for Cody and his name will always be associated with his father. There's nothing anybody can do about that.
6 Heel: He Is Very Different Than His Father
He might be The American Dream's son but there is no denying the fact that he is very different from his father. Cody does not look like the common man like his father did and nor is he the son of one. He is the son of one of the greatest in the history of wrestling. He is wrestling royalty.
The common man will never connect to Cody like they did to his father. And to be very honest, in many ways he is more suited to the role of a heel.
5 Babyface: Incredible Promos
One thing that Cody got from his father is the ability to cut an incredible promo. At the top of his game, he has one of the best on the mic in the entire industry today and he is criminally underrated by a lot of the fans.
It was not too long ago that one of his promos had the entire wrestling world buzzing and he has the ability to do that much more often. But for some bizarre reason, he has not been given the opportunity to do so over the last few months.
4 Heel: Opens Up A Lot Of Fresh Angles
For his entire run in AEW, Cody has been a babyface. As a result, while he has feuded with the heels in the company, naturally he is yet to do so with the babyfaces. A heel turn though would open up a lot of opportunities immediately.
What would a Cody angle with The Young Bucks look like? Or possibly him taking on Kenny Omega. The possibilities are endless and all it takes is for Cody to embrace the dark side.
3 Babyface: He Is A Great In-Ring Storyteller
Cody does not get half the credit he deserves for his in-ring work. Yes, he might not be as athletic or technically gifted as some of the others on the AEW roster, but he has the incredible ability of telling a story in the ring. And in many ways that is the essence of professional wrestling.
Anybody who has any doubts about his abilities should just watch the match he had with Dustin Rhodes at Double or Nothing last year. To this day, that remains the best match that the company has ever put on.
2 Heel: His Babyface Run Has Lost Steam
Cody has been a babyface for his entire run in AEW. He had tremendous success with for the first half and at point of time was perhaps the most over babyface in all of wrestling. Since then though, he has lost a lot of steam and is currently floundering around as the TNT Champion in what can only be described as the mid-card.
As a result, it might be time for change. A heel turn would bring some much needed freshness to his character and potentially open up the opportunity for a run with the AEW World Championship in the near future. But hat's if he goes back on his word that he wouldn't challenge for the world title, which would be a very heel thing to do.
1 Babyface: He Still Has Not Gotten His Revenge Over MJF
Cody's rivalry with MJF was supposed to be the hottest thing on AEW television. And for a short period of time, it was. But it is hard not to feel that the company could have done much more with it than they did. It led to a solitary match between the two which saw Cody get pinned at the hands of his protege.
Some time in the future, Cody has to get revenge over MJF for his betrayal. And a heel turn at this point would make that impossible. Right now it looks like MJF might very possibly be on his way to winning the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley. If only Cody were able to challenge for the AEW Championship then maybe this feud could be taken to the next level.
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