5 WWE stars who could turn their backs on Cody Rhodes if he joined The Rock

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is in an extremely tough spot. His eyes seemed to be set on WrestleMania and everything was looking like it'd be smooth sailing until The Rock made his return.

The Final Boss returned on Friday Night SmackDown last week. In what felt like a bizarre, yet manipulative promo, The Rock made an offer to Cody Rhodes. He wants The American Nightmare to become his champion, promising Cody greater success in the process.

This is essentially asking for Cody to throw away his morals and turn heel. The American Nightmare has to make a decision by Elimination Chamber Toronto this Saturday where The Rock will once again confront him.

If Cody does accept the offer, a lot of stars in the company will be highly disappointed in him. In fact, some might even turn their backs on Rhodes. This article will look at a handful of stars who could turn their backs on Cody if he joins The Final Boss.

#5. Seth Rollins sent a stern warning to Cody Rhodes on WWE RAW

Seth Rollins is a top star in WWE. He is a multi-time world champion who has even headlined WrestleMania. His run as a top guy has lasted for a long time now, dating back to his debut as a member of The Shield.

The Visionary and Cody Rhodes had a tense promo on WWE Monday Night RAW this week. Seth brought up how he gave everything to help Rhodes dethrone Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. He fears his work would be in vain if Cody joins The Rock.

Unlike the others on this list, Seth already made it clear that he will hate Cody Rhodes if he makes this decision. The Visionary warned Cody not to make Seth hate him, but it is ultimately up to the world champion as to what he does.

#4. CM Punk would lose all respect for Cody if he aligned with The Rock

CM Punk is a lightning rod for controversy. Whether he is in WWE, another promotion, or even trying his hand in MMA, it seems like the talk of the wrestling world is always about The Straight Edge Superstar.

The Voice Of The Voiceless and The American Nightmare have an interesting relationship. On a recent episode of WWE RAW, the two had a heated confrontation where Punk warned Cody he would stab him in the front if it meant winning the world title at WrestleMania. At least he was straight up with Cody, though.

If Rhodes were to sell out and go with The Rock, Punk would likely lose respect for Cody. If there is one thing someone from the punk scene dislikes, it would be a sell out. Cody doing that would likely lead to Punk being done with Rhodes moving forward.

#3. Sami Zayn would likely be shocked by Cody's behavior

Sami Zayn is one of the best in-ring performers in WWE today. He is currently engaged in a feud with Kevin Owens, but Sami's ultimate goal is to win a world title. He very well could do that in the future too.

Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn have been friends in WWE. While they have also had some professional tension when both men wanted to win a world title, they ultimately ended up on the same side. The two clearly have respected for each other too.

As someone who is often seen as the moral compass of World Wrestling Entertainment, there is no way Sami could stand by and watch Cody sell his soul to The Rock. He might try to convince Rhodes to stop, but if Cody refuses, he could wash his hands of the world champion.

#2. Jey Uso likely doesn't want to deal with The Rock-related drama

Jey Uso is an absurdly popular WWE star on Monday Night RAW. He won the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble Match and will be going on to WrestleMania to challenge Gunther for the World Heavyweight Title.

Main Event Jey Uso is a member of the real-life Bloodline, but he and The Rock have never been on the same side. When The Final Boss worked with Roman Reigns against Cody Rhodes last year, Jey was on Rhodes' side.

A year later, Jey would likely be disappointed to see Cody just flip sides like that. Beyond that, he might want to avoid more Bloodline drama, so even if he understood Rhodes' decision, he might ditch Cody just to avoid getting involved.

#1. Randy Orton would likely be upset if Cody had a new mentor

Randy Orton is one of the greatest wrestlers in modern history. He was called up to the main roster in 2002 and went on to become a 14-time world champion in WWE. He is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer.

The Viper and Cody Rhodes have a long history together. The two were aligned in The Legacy, which helped Rhodes develop a lot. Since returning to WWE, Cody has again been public about Orton being his friend and mentor.

Orton is away injured right now, but he'll inevitably be back. When he does, he would be quite upset to see Cody sell his soul to The Rock. It would undoubtedly cause a split between The Viper and The American Nightmare, as there is no way Randy would approve of The Rock's antics.

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