YOUNG AND RESTLESS FANS RALLY BEHIND CANE ASHBY’S REVENGE PLOT AGAINST VICTOR

TL;DR: Young and Restless fans are unexpectedly rallying behind Cane Ashby in his corporate warfare against Victor Newman and Jack Abbott, with many viewers saying the patriarch is finally due for a real, lasting defeat after decades of always winning.

The battle lines are drawn in Genoa City, and fans are picking sides in the most surprising way possible!

Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) has returned to The Young and the Restless after a six-year absence, but he’s not the same man who left town in disgrace. He’s now a self-made billionaire calling himself “Aristotle Dumas,” and he’s got his sights set on taking down both Newman Enterprises and Jabot Cosmetics. His partnership with Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) and his mysterious AI weapon have positioned him as the most credible threat the establishment has faced in years.

But here’s the twist nobody saw coming: viewers are actually rooting for him to WIN.

Why Are Young and Restless Fans Team Cane?

Fans are supporting Cane for several compelling reasons that reveal a deep hunger for change in Genoa City’s power structure.

The sentiment exploding across social media is crystal clear — after watching Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) dominate, manipulate, and ultimately triumph over every challenger for over four decades, viewers are desperate for someone to finally hand him a genuine defeat. Not just a temporary setback that he bounces back from within two weeks. A real, consequential loss that actually changes things.

One fan captured the mood perfectly: “He’s got the Newman’s and Abbott’s shaking in their boots and I love it! Especially Victor. They can’t intimidate him. He don’t give a damn which makes him even more dangerous.”

That fearless attitude? That’s what has fans invested in a way they haven’t been for years. Cane isn’t burdened by forty years of Genoa City history. He’s not intimidated by a legendary surname. He’s not trying to earn Victor‘s respect or gain Jack‘s approval. He’s attempting to flip the entire table over and establish himself as the new dominant force.

And viewers are HERE for it.

The discussion threads reveal something fascinating about what longtime soap fans actually want. They’re exhausted by predictable power dynamics. They’re tired of watching the same patriarchs use the same tactics to achieve the same inevitable victories. When someone pointed out that “Victor is due for a loss,” the responses came flooding in with agreement. “Realistically Victor is due for a loss. It doesn’t have to be his whole company, but it has to be something.”

The Hypocrisy Angle Fans Can’t Ignore

Fans aren’t holding back when it comes to calling out what they see as blatant double standards in how Genoa City’s elite are treating Cane.

Multiple viewers have pointed out the glaring hypocrisy: Victor Newman himself was born Christian Miller, abandoned in an orphanage, and later completely reinvented himself under a new name that he chose to represent being “victorious” and a “new man.” He built an empire from nothing using ruthless tactics and crushed anyone who stood in his way — and he’s celebrated as a titan of industry.

So why is it such a scandal when Cane Ashby does the exact same thing?

He left Genoa City, reinvented himself as “Aristotle Dumas,” built a billion-dollar empire, and returned with the resources to challenge the establishment. Yet the Newmans and Abbotts are treating him like he’s committed some unforgivable sin. As one fan perfectly summarized: both men came from nothing and made themselves into powerful businessmen, but only one gets condemned for it while the other gets a statue in Chancellor Park.

This perceived hypocrisy is fueling massive support for Cane‘s campaign. Viewers see him playing by the exact same rules Victor established — he’s just doing it better, and Victor can’t handle the competition.

Building Generational Wealth for Charlie and Mattie

There’s another layer to Cane‘s motivations that resonates deeply with fans: he’s doing this for his children.

Supportive viewers frequently point out that Cane “made an empire for his kids” and is focused on establishing “generational wealth” for Charlie and Mattie. When he left town six years ago, he departed under a cloud of disgrace related to his con-man father’s schemes. Now he’s returned having shed that baggage and built something substantial that his children can inherit without shame.

That’s a father refusing to let his kids inherit his disgrace. That’s a man who completely reinvented himself to give them a different legacy. And that’s the kind of aspirational, transformative storytelling that makes soap operas compelling in the first place!

Fans are particularly drawn to the fact that this isn’t just about revenge or power for power’s sake. Cane has a genuine emotional motivation — proving to Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) that he’s worthy of a second chance while securing his children’s future. That complexity elevates him above being just another corporate raider.

The Phyllis Factor Makes Everything Unpredictable

One of the most underrated aspects of why fans are so invested? Phyllis Summers is Cane‘s primary ally.

Phyllis is one of the show’s most notorious schemers with a track record that includes drugging a rock star, running down rivals with her car, blackmailing half of Genoa City, and faking her own death to frame Diane for murder. She’s also incredibly intelligent, resourceful, and capable of playing the long game when properly motivated.

The fact that she’s thrown her lot in with Cane, giving him insider knowledge about both the Newman and Abbott families while pursuing her own agenda for relevance and revenge, makes their alliance genuinely dangerous. No one quite knows what Phyllis will do at any given moment. Will she remain loyal to Cane, or will she betray him for her own benefit? Will she use her access to the AI technology for his goals or her own?

That uncertainty creates a volatile partnership that could explode at any moment. And soap fans LOVE that kind of ticking time bomb dynamic because it means literally anything could happen!

Even Cane recognizes the danger. He’s established a clear hierarchy, telling her bluntly, “You are not the queen to my king… We are not equals.” That calculated put-down? It’s setting up either a power struggle or an inevitable betrayal. Spoilers suggest Phyllis will be “caught in a compromising position,” which has fans speculating wildly about what she’s really up to.

Victor Newman’s Decades-Long Winning Streak

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Victor has been winning for over forty years.

Victor Newman has been the sun around which Genoa City orbits since 1980. His psychological need for absolute control stems from a traumatic childhood where he was abandoned at an orphanage. That foundational wound created what actor Eric Braeden has described as a “tragic flaw” — Victor “wants relationships badly, but doesn’t quite trust them.”

His primary tools are his immense wealth and strategic mind, which he uses to manipulate people and circumstances to his will. He famously “doesn’t suffer fools easily” and views any challenge to his authority as a declaration of war.

And here’s the thing: he ALWAYS wins. Every single time.

Fans can recite the pattern by heart. Someone challenges Victor. Victor appears to be on the ropes for a few weeks. Then Victor inevitably finds the leverage or makes the move that crushes his opponent and restores his position at the top. The same pattern repeats with Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Jabot Cosmetics.

After decades of this predictable cycle, viewers are craving something different. They want to see what the show looks like when someone actually succeeds in challenging the establishment. They want real consequences that last longer than a few episodes. They want genuine change.

And Cane Ashby represents that possibility.

The Alliance Between Victor and Jack Can’t Hold

The threat posed by Cane has forced Victor Newman and Jack Abbott into an unholy alliance — and fans are predicting it’s doomed to fail.

These two patriarchs have been locked in a decades-long feud described as “the stuff of soap legend.” They’ve shared wives, fought over corporations, and engaged in bitter personal warfare for years. Their rivalry is the central conflict of the series.

Now they’re supposed to work together? Against a common enemy?

Jack‘s response to Cane‘s threat is defensive and strategic. His primary concern is protecting his family’s interests and the Abbott legacy. While he’s agreed to a joint plan of attack with Victor, he’s doing so with extreme reluctance and profound suspicion. He understands that Victor‘s interests don’t align with his own, so he’s keeping a “trick up his sleeve,” refusing to rely on his old enemy to save Jabot.

His wife Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) is even more worried about Victor‘s ultimate intentions and the potential for betrayal.

Victor, meanwhile, is instinctually and brutally aggressive in his response. True to form, his initial impulse is to fight this battle alone. He’s only partnering with Jack as a distasteful last resort — and that resentment is going to show.

Fans are watching this partnership like a ticking time bomb. The central tension isn’t whether Cane will exploit their mutual distrust — it’s WHEN. The moment their animosity boils over will be the opening that a shrewd operator like Cane needs to achieve victory.

What’s Next for Cane’s Corporate War?

The most probable outcome based on the current trajectory? Cane is positioned to achieve a significant victory that fundamentally reshuffles Genoa City’s power structure.

Could this mean Cane actually succeeds in his hostile takeover? Don’t be surprised if he seizes control of Chancellor Industries or uses his AI weapon to seriously damage both Newman Enterprises and Jabot Cosmetics. The storyline seems to be building toward a genuine power shift rather than another temporary challenge that fizzles out.

Given Cane‘s stated motivations and the Gatsby parallel the show is drawing, we’re likely looking at a pyrrhic victory. He may win the corporate war but lose Lily in the process. The ruthless methods he’s employing — the deception, the dangerous AI technology, the toxic alliance with Phyllis — could permanently alienate the woman he’s trying to win back.

This likely leads to Cane being established as a permanent power player in Genoa City, a complex anti-hero whose motivations are understood even if his methods are condemned. With the corporate conquest phase of his story concluded, his character arc would shift to dealing with the personal fallout of his actions.

For Victor and Jack? They’ll be wounded but not destroyed, forced to reckon with a new reality where they’re no longer the only major players on the board. Their decades-long rivalry will now have to contend with a third, equally powerful entity.

And for fans who’ve been begging for change? They might finally get the power shift they’ve been craving for years. Cane‘s fearless attitude, strategic alliances, and refusal to be intimidated have transformed him into exactly the kind of disruptor that Genoa City needs.

The establishment better watch out. This underdog has the resources, the motivation, and most importantly, the fan support to actually pull off what everyone else has failed to do: topple the titans of Genoa City and establish a new order.

Don’t miss our latest The Young and the Restless spoilers for more twists and turns.