4 Reasons why Randy Orton is the final member of Cody Rhodes' WarGames team

Cody Rhodes' team for WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 is finally complete. It may have taken until the final episode of RAW before the event, but Randy Orton was announced as the fifth member of Rhodes' team for WarGames.

The announcement visibly shocked both the fans and Judgment Day. Like the face team for the Women's WarGames match, the men's team is filled with massive singles stars.

Orton and Seth Rollins are multi-time champions, while Rhodes is one of the top stars in all of wrestling. Sami Zay and Jey Uso are extremely popular with the WWE Universe.

Now that the field is complete for the Men's WarGames match, why was Randy Orton selected as the final combatant? Here are four possible reasons behind the decision.

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#4 Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes have a history together

Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes will always be linked in WWE.

One simple reason why Orton was announced as the final member of Team Rhodes was due to history. Rhodes made his mark in WWE as a member of the Legacy trio alongside Orton and Ted DiBiase Jr.

Orton and Rhodes had storylines as friends and allies, but the two were cordial when Rhodes returned to WWE two years ago.

It makes sense to bring in a star of his caliber, someone Rhodes believes he can trust. Whether that turns out to be the case will have to wait until Saturday.

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#3 His history with Drew McIntyre

McIntyre and Orton have battled in a cage before WarGames.

While his history with Rhodes has been up and down, most of The Viper's interactions with Drew McIntyre have been confrontational.

The two battled each other violently when McIntyre won the WWE Championship. Orton even briefly wrested the title from The Scottish Warrior, but McIntyre won it back. One of their battles took place inside Hell in a Cell.

McIntyre has done a great job holding a grudge against Jey Uso, so he could still harbor ill will towards Orton for disrupting his big title run.

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#2 WarGames is the perfect setting for his return

If WWE is going to bring The Apex Predator back to action, it must be in a big spot. His return could have been saved for the 2024 Royal Rumble or the actual day of WarGames.

A star of his stature deserves a massive stage for a return, and completing Rhodes' team will achieve that goal. Survivor Series is known as one of the Big Four WWE events, and Orton has an excellent track record at Survivor Series.

It will also be interesting to see how Orton interacts with each of his teammates and if he hits a few RKOs as someone jumps off the cage.

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#1 His inclusion could sow tension with Jey Uso

Jey Uso interfered in so many matches as a member of the Bloodline that it's hard to find a WWE Superstar he didn't cross. Jey helped Roman Reigns retain his title several times. He also assaulted many WWE performers when he ran with his family.

Orton's recent ties to Jey stem from when the Usos defeated Orton and Matt Riddle to unify the tag team titles. The group consistently attacked RKBro, eventually putting The Viper on the sidelines.

Cody and Sami had time to eventually warm up to Jey. With WarGames just days away, Orton may not have the same luxury. When Rhodes alluded to The Apex Predator being the final member, Jey had a look of uneasiness and dread across his face.

He knows he stepped on The Viper's toes as a member of the Bloodline, so The Legend Killer might come to collect before, during, or after WarGames.