Bully Ray Says Cody Rhodes’ Heel Turn Must Match Hulk Hogan Joining The NWO

By Jitu Jangir

August 25, 2026 at 10:43 AM IST

11.5K

3 min read

Bully Ray Says Cody Rhodes’ Heel Turn Must Match Hulk Hogan Joining The NWO

Bully Ray believes WWE must wait for the right moment before turning Cody Rhodes heel, arguing that such a character change should have an effect comparable to Hulk Hogan joining the New World Order. The WWE Hall of Famer also thinks Paul Heyman could eventually become the person who guides Rhodes toward that change.

Hogan’s heel turn took place at WCW Bash at the Beach 1996. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash had arrived in WCW and promised to introduce a third member of their group. Hogan appeared during the main event and initially looked ready to help Randy Savage, only to attack him with multiple leg drops.

Hogan then confirmed his alliance with Hall and Nash, forming the NWO. The turn ended his long run as wrestling’s leading hero and gave WCW a group that became central to its battle with WWE. The timing worked because fans had already started growing tired of Hogan’s familiar character, but few expected him to abandon it completely. Speaking on Busted Open, Bully said WWE would need to create a similarly unforgettable moment if Rhodes ever stopped being presented as its leading hero.

“Cody’s heel turn has to be as precise and effective as Hogan coming out at Bash at the Beach in Daytona and dropping the leg on Savage and turning and becoming a part of the NWO,” Bully said. “Otherwise, it’s all for naught. That’s got to be the goal. This is your opportunity for Cody Rhodes to become a monster heel when the time is right,” he continued. “In the Mafia, we have the boss of all bosses. Cody Rhodes can become the heel of all heels.”

The discussion followed Rhodes’ confrontation with Randy Orton on the August 21 episode of SmackDown. Cody ended the exchange by borrowing Paul Heyman’s familiar line: “That’s not a prediction. That’s a spoiler.” The crowd cheered when Rhodes spoke about Orton chasing another world championship, but Cody received boos when he claimed Orton would eventually have to come back through him. His use of Heyman’s line then produced a loud reaction and led to questions about whether WWE was teasing a future partnership.

“What if Paul is not going to align himself with Bron? What if Paul is not going to align himself with Oba? What if Paul is going to finally align himself with Cody?” Bully said. The great thing about it is we all expect it to happen one day, and they can play with it as much as they want. People are going to buy in, and they can wait for the perfect moment in which to do so.”

Bully said WWE should not turn Cody simply because some crowds have begun supporting Orton over him. Rhodes would need to betray someone the audience cares about, with Heyman secretly influencing his decision.

“Cody has to do something wrong,” Bully explained. “He needs to do something to turn his back on somebody who is loved, and Paul Heyman needs to be the one who stirred him up to do it. Maybe we don’t find out about him and Heyman until after it’s done.”

Bully stressed that WWE would only have one opportunity to make the turn work.

“Knowing what I know of Paul Heyman, this trigger would never be pulled unless the timing is absolutely perfect,” he said. “Zero room for error, no Plan B, because if Plan A doesn’t work, we’re all screwed.”