WWE stars Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have been feuding since before WrestleMania 42. Orton won the Elimination Chamber match and earned a shot at the WWE Championship at The Show of Shows.
Drew McIntyre was the champion at the time, but lost the belt to Cody Rhodes a few days later on SmackDown. The title changing hands made The Viper turn against his long-time friend.
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The American Nightmare defeated Orton at WrestleMania 42. Orton returned at SummerSlam, costing Rhodes a chance to beat CM Punk for the championship. The two then squared off at Sunday Night’s Main Event.
The Viper won, but it wasn’t a dominant victory. The Last Man Standing Match at Crown Jewel will be the third showdown between the two top stars. Randy Orton must defeat Cody Rhodes in the Last Man Standing Match for the next four reasons.
#4. Orton’s didn’t get a definitive win at Sunday Night’s Main Event
While he has a win against The American Nightmare in the books, it wasn’t exactly a dominant performance. The match was even for the most part. Instead of giving The Viper a much-needed big victory over a top star, he cheated to win.
Orton feigned an injury, which forced Rhodes to hesitate. The Viper took advantage by hitting a low blow and an RKO for the win.
If WWE wants to treat Orton like a top performer, he can get a clean win over a big star now and then. Rhodes even bragged that he won at WrestleMania and showed up for work the next day despite eating a punt after the match.
The best version of Randy Orton is a remorseless Apex Predator. If he makes it to his feet a second before Cody does or he loses, he’s a viper without venom. He needs a definitive victory to reestablish his star power.
#3. Cody Rhodes doesn’t need to win every feud
Cody Rhodes has won nearly every one of his feuds since returning to WWE in 2022. He swept Seth Rollins in his return feud and went 1-1 against Roman Reigns. The Visionary did beat him at last year’s Crown Jewel, albeit with help.
His only high-profile loss was a one-match feud against CM Punk at SummerSlam. He traded wins with John Cena. Against Gunther, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, and even Brock Lesnar, Rhodes came out on top in the end.
It makes investing in one of his feuds less appealing, knowing he’s almost a certainty to win it. Orton doesn’t have many years left at this rate, so it wouldn’t hurt Rhodes to lose a feud to his long-time mentor and rival. The Apex Predator loses a lot of luster by losing a Last Man Standing Match to Rhodes.
#2. It can set Orton up again to go after a 15th World Championship
John Cena’s entire retirement tour was about winning a record-breaking 17th World Championship before hanging up his boots for good. He accomplished the feat at WrestleMania 42 but lost the belt back to Rhodes at SummerSlam.
As Cena wanted a 17th title, Orton was trying to win his 15th World Title. He’s the closest star who can catch and potentially break Cena’s record of 17. If Orton loses a Last Man Standing Match to Cody Rhodes, it only helps Rhodes.
He’s had the title enough over the last three years. A huge win over The American Nightmare can set Orton up for another big attempt to add a 15th belt to his collection. A loss puts him at the back of the line.
#1. Cody should be far away from the WWE Title picture
Cody Rhodes was the handpicked star to defeat Roman Reigns after a near four-year run atop WWE. He lost in his first bid but won in his second attempt. He held the title for most of 2024 until dropping it briefly to Drew McIntyre in early 2025.
Nick Aldis gave him every chance to win the title back, and he did so ahead of The Showcase of the Immortals in 2025. He lost to Cena in April but regained the belt at that year’s SummerSlam.
Rhodes held the title until WrestleMania 42. He only lost it to Sami Zayn in late June. Punk won the title from Sami, but it was Rhodes who got the first crack at The Best in the World.
CM Punk needs time away from the title scene in WWE, and he’s doing that with Kevin Owens. Rhodes is doing the same against Orton, but a victory over The Legend Killer in a Last Man Standing Match puts him right back in the chase.
He even claimed that whoever wins the Last Man Standing Match would be the #1 Contender to the WWE Championship. That feels like one of Nick Aldis’s stars making a match.
WWE desperately needs to book other stars as champions. It started with Zayn and should have happened with LA Knight and Bron Breakker. If Rhodes walks out of Crown Jewel with the victory, even if he boots Orton, his character will remain relatively the same.
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Edited by Matthew Serocki
