One of the biggest stories going on in the WWE is how the current WWE champion Cody Rhodes has been booked since winning the title at Wrestlemania 40. For most fans, Cody’s reign has been top notch. From amazing storytelling (whether on the mic or in the ring action), Cody’s overall presence and aura since winning the championship, merchandise sales, to of course his 2 matches thus far with AJ Styles, Logan Paul, Solo Sikoa and countless non-televised championships defenses on live events. Cody Rhodes so far turned out to be one hell of a WWE champion and has left fans wondering who’s next for him to face off against. Like any other professional wrestling enthusiast, one can’t wait to see who Cody’s opponent will be at Wrestlemania 41 in Las Vegas. Most assume it’ll be The Rock but what if the story with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton can be a bigger one to tell?
One of the biggest stories coming into Wrestlemania 40 was The Rock returning, aligning himself with Roman Reigns and the constant back and forths with Cody Rhodes. Rhodes and Rock’s chemistry on the mic is top notch; pure cinema when these two have a microphone in their hands and one upping the other made the road to Mania all the sweeter. On the first night of Wrestlemania 40, Rock actually pinned Rhodes to allow himself and Reigns win their tag match, which led to bigger implications the following night. The Rock has reason to come back and he said it himself during the episode of Monday Night Raw after Wrestlemania that he and Rhodes’ story is far from finished. There’s a lot of hype and anticipation amongst fans with this eventual showdown between the two superstars; however, it should not be the main event at Wrestlemania 41.
The bigger story that WWE is currently telling right in front of the audience’ eyes is the ultimate clash between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes. Two of the most significant superstars on the Smackdown roster are destined for battle. Cody Rhodes has mentioned on numerous occasions in interviews and on television that Orton is a mentor of his and he helped shape him into the professional wrestler that he is today. How Rhodes approaches the business in a personal and professional manner is because of Randy Orton. Orton took Rhodes under his wing during their time together in a faction called “Legacy” when Cody was just a baby in the business back in 2008 and they would take the company by storm.
Within the perspective of Orton, Cody was his protege and played a hand in the current success that Rhodes has. Orton witnessed first hand the trials, tribulations, blood drawn, drenched sweat and the many tears that Cody shed throughout his career especially during his absence from the company. For Cody to stay level headed, mentally strong and burst through the Indy scene, Impact Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling and AEW to make a name for his own self (besides of just being Dusty’s kid) is beyond admirable within the eyes of Orton and he’s proud of how far Cody has came and where Cody is going.
With that being said, it’s only a matter of time that Orton will turn on Rhodes. It’s historically known that Orton can’t be fully trusted on WWE television. He’s the apex predator for a reason. The good guy versus good guy story for these two superstars can not be told here. There have already been signs from Orton since Wrestlemania 40 that he’s a bit envious, or possibly malicious of the success of Rhodes by eyeing up Rhodes and his WWE championship. Fans have been waiting a long time to see a heel Randy Orton and it’ll be here very soon.
This match has to be THE main event of Wrestlemania 41. The possibility of The Rock versus Cody Rhodes or Roman Reigns versus The Rock or even the third installment of Rhodes versus Reigns sounds good on paper but the Orton match just hits different. There will be plenty of emotions going into it knowing Rhodes and Orton’s history amongst each other. How Triple H books Orton’s turn has the chance of being the biggest turn of all time. The build, the reasoning for Orton turning, the segments and the eventual match between the two superstars could lead up to be one of the greatest rivalries of all time. Only time will tell when this match will occur but the seeds have been planted. All it will take is a punt kick to the head or an RKO outta nowhere for it to grow.
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