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What a long, strange journey it's been for Cody Rhodes during his time with All Elite Wrestling.
The swashbuckling American Nightmare, who vanquished evildoers and put on some terrific matches in the early days of AEW, could seemingly do no wrong. He was one of the founding fathers of a red hot promotion and was being hailed as one of the brightest young minds in the industry.
As part of a group of four Executive Vice Presidents (along with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks), Cody Rhodes was clearly the spokesperson and the 'face' of AEW. He made talk show appearances and appeared on mainstream television shows to carry the banner for All Elite Wrestling.
Cody Rhodes' breathtaking battle with his brother, Dustin, remains one of the greatest AEW matches ever
He put on dramatic matches in the ring and was widely respected by fans for being willing to do anything to tell a compelling story. His epic battle with his brother Dustin helped kick off the AEW era early on, and Cody went on a string of great matches with other top stars.
As many fans and observers have seen, however, it hasn't stayed that way. Over the course of the last six months, the once adoring AEW audience has turned on Rhodes. For whatever reason, he now longer has that mojo with the crowd, who have grown tired of his actions and are now almost begging for him to turn heel.
Cody himself has come out and said he will NOT be making that turn, no matter how many boos he's hearing. But there have been several subtle hints that this is all just lip service on The American Nightmare's part.
Cody Rhodes' heel turn is imminent
That golden gift may come on Christmas night when Cody Rhodes will challenge the massively popular Sammy Guevara for the AEW TNT Championship. The Spanish God has firmly established himself since defeating Miro and has the support of the fanbase.
If there was ever a way for Cody to pull a fiendish fast one, him stealing a win and the title would be it. Like the Grinch, he will have stolen Christmas from all of us.
He even subtly hinted at it as he exited his face-to-face discussion with Guevara on the ramp this week during AEW Dynamite. As Rhodes went to exit, he first headed for the heel locker room... before correcting himself and going to the 'good guys' side of the stage.
No matter how this all takes place, the time has come for Cody Rhodes to embrace the dark side. This has been building as a slow burn for a while now, and it's time to throw some gasoline on those flickering flames.
A heel turn for Rhodes would revitalize his career, and he could play that role to perfection. He has all the makings of being the Lex Luthor of the promotion. A supervillain who has money, power, and control — he and his wife Brandi could run roughshod over the promotion and be involved in some compelling storylines. It's time to open up that fiery gate and let all hell break loose in 2022.
We have finally come to the Cross Roads. Now, it's time for Cody to hang a left and make his way to the wrong side of the tracks.
Do you want to see Cody Rhodes turn heel in AEW? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
