Cody Rhodes marks major turning point at Night of Champions; wrestling veteran shocked to see "so much anger" (Exclusive)

WWE star Cody Rhodes is the new King of the Ring. The American Nightmare defeated Randy Orton in a nail-biter of a final at Night of Champions.

The mentor and protégé squared off at Night of Champions to earn the right to be called the 2025 King of the Ring. The two stars put on a stellar matchup, keeping the WWE Universe on the edge of its seat. However, it was Cody who got the win after he pushed Randy into an exposed turnbuckle and then hit the Cross Rhodes for the win.

During an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda Wrestling, veteran wrestling journalist Bill Apter explained that this match could be the start of Cody's heel turn. He pointed out that the star's pure aggression was visible during the match. The veteran also noted that Rhodes didn't hesitate to use the exposed turnbuckle to his advantage, suggesting a subtle shift in his character.

"This is the first start of Cody Rhodes' slow heel turn. He was excellent in his role with so much anger against Randy Orton. He held nothing back. He didn't care what he had to do to win. The finish was something that we thought Randy Orton was going to win, and Cody used what Randy did to his advantage. But I thought out of a one to 10 being the best match, this was close to a 20," he said.

After this win, Cody Rhodes has now set his sights on the Undisputed WWE Championship. He will face either CM Punk or John Cena for the title at SummerSlam 2025.

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While using the quotes from this article, please credit Sportskeeda for the transcript.