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What if... Cody Rhodes Became a Paul Heyman Guy | Notsam Wrestling WWE What If

Notsam Wrestling29m 13s

Sam Roberts presents a hypothetical WWE scenario where Cody Rhodes loses multiple matches, becomes disillusioned, and turns heel by aligning with Paul Heyman after the Royal Rumble. The narrative builds toward Cody winning the WWE Championship and facing Obafemi at WrestleMania, with Roberts ultimately proposing that Cody retains his title to extend his villainous run and eventually lose to Obafemi at WrestleMania 44.

Summary

In this WWE What If scenario, Sam Roberts constructs a detailed narrative beginning from current continuity on SmackDown. The story starts with Cody Rhodes facing Randy Orton, losing twice in succession and being eliminated from Royal Rumble contention by Obafemi Femi. Throughout this losing streak, Cody also loses to CM Punk, Sami Zayn (via dirty finish), and Trick Williams, creating mounting frustration and self-doubt. Drew McIntyre returns to emphasize Cody's vulnerabilities, suggesting he has lost his edge and cannot compete with the new generation, which prompts Cody to defeat Drew in a chair-shot finish to secure the number 30 Royal Rumble spot. Obafemi then eliminates Cody in the Rumble finale, and this loss causes a shift in Cody's character perception—rather than his typical introspective sadness after losses, he displays anger and blame directed outward at Obafemi. Following the Rumble, Paul Heyman recruits Cody Rhodes in a reversal of the famous 2020 Roman Reigns moment. Cody explains that he has never truly controlled his own story at WrestleMania since his return, with various circumstances derailing his plans each year. Cody justifies his heel turn as pragmatism rather than villainy—he sees himself as still being the hero and QB1, merely protecting his interests through Paul Heyman's political maneuvering. Heyman secures Cody a title match against CM Punk at Elimination Chamber, which Cody wins to become WWE Champion. At WrestleMania 43, Cody faces champion Obafemi. Roberts debates whether Obafemi should win immediately or if extending Cody's heel reign for a full year is strategically superior. He argues that if Obafemi wins at WrestleMania 43, there would be no remaining credible challengers, making Obafemi's future victories less impactful. Instead, Roberts proposes Cody retain his title, spend a year as a dominant heel facing and defeating top competitors including Roman Reigns and Randy Orton, and only lose the title to Obafemi at WrestleMania 44. This structure mirrors Cody's own journey but positions Cody as the obstacle that builds Obafemi into his eventual replacement.

About this episode

<p>Listen to Notsam Wrestling LIVE Mon-Thurs from 12-2pm et on WWE Radio - SiriusXM channel 156</p><p><br /></p><p>Sam Roberts expands on a WWE What If... What if Cody Rhodes became a Paul Heyman Guy?</p><p><br /></p><p>To get a Sam Roberts figure - you can order this WWE set from Amazon - http://notsam.com/figure</p><p>With all four figures, you will be able to build your Sam Roberts with both heads!</p><p><br /></p><p>Subscribe to the show YouTube page at YouTube.com/NotsamWrestling</p><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>

Key Insights

  • Roberts argues that Cody's heel turn must be justified through a series of losses and mounting frustration with new talent surpassing him, rather than an arbitrary character change, making it psychologically coherent to audiences.
  • The speaker contends that Paul Heyman recruiting Cody creates narrative symmetry with the 2020 Roman Reigns storyline, but Cody's justification for joining is different—he seeks to protect his legacy and position rather than pursue dominance for its own sake.
  • Roberts suggests that extending a heel champion's reign for a full year after winning at WrestleMania is strategically superior to having the challenger win immediately, because immediate loss would leave no credible future opponents for the new champion.
  • The speaker proposes that Cody's heel character should maintain his QB1 mentality and traditional presentation rather than undergo aesthetic transformation, suggesting the villain genuinely believes he is still the hero protecting what is rightfully his.
  • Roberts theorizes that the cyclical storytelling of Cody as an obstacle to Obafemi's rise mirrors Cody's own ascent, with Cody's losses and insecurity building the foundation for the next generation's triumph rather than establishing their superiority through quick victories.

Topics

Cody Rhodes character arc and heel turnPaul Heyman as manager/manipulatorRoyal Rumble and championship progressionObafemi Femi's rise as next-generation threatLong-term storytelling and WrestleMania narrative structureCharacter psychology and motivation for turning heelDrew McIntyre's role in exposing Cody's vulnerabilities

Transcript

This is Not Sam Wrestling. Not Sam Wrestling. Introducing your host, from New York, here is Sam Roberts. Sam Roberts. Well, yes, indeed. Welcome, welcome, welcome to a Not Sam Wrestling update. This is a unique one. This is a new segment. You know, over on WWE Radio there on SiriusXM, we like to have a good time. We like to try some different things. I know that I've heard from a lot of you guys anyway that you've been enjoying the Danielle Learns Wrestling series of segments that we've been doing over there and then sharing with you guys here on the podcast. Well, I got another one. It's called WWE What If. It's time to let our minds…

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