5 reasons why Cody Rhodes must feud with Randy Orton before reigniting his rivalry with Roman Reigns

Since his return to WWE, Cody Rhodes has grown to become one of the hottest superstars in the promotion. During this year’s WrestleMania, many fans believed that he would be the man to dethrone Roman Reigns. However, due to the interference of Solo Sikoa, The Tribal Chief was able to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship that he still holds to this day.

Fast forward to the present day, Cody Rhodes, alongside fellow superstars Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, and current World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins, won their match at the recently concluded Survivor Series: WarGames. Bagging that victory wouldn't have been possible without Randy Orton, who made a thunderous return during the match.

Both Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have formed alliances and faced off in the past. Now that the latter is on his way to return to in-ring action, what could be the possible reasons for them to feud anew? Let's explore why such a rivalry between them is a must.

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#5. Evolution of their in-ring personas

The personas of both Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have evolved through the years. A case in point is Rhodes, whose in-ring character has seen numerous changes, especially during WWE’s Ruthless Aggression and PG eras.

Randy Orton has also undergone numerous character switches in his career. However, it’s the various wrestling factions that he delved into that are more noticed by fans. From Evolution to RK-Bro, all of these teams got fans hooked.

Having them pitted against each other will likely usher in new personas for both superstars and for wrestling fans to be compelled anew.

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#4. Stir up new storylines

The history between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton goes a long way back, and WWE's creative team can certainly tap into this while concocting new storylines that lead to a feud.

A notable feud between them happened in 2011, back when they were still members of the wrestling stable known as The Legacy. When their faction disbanded, Cody Rhodes claimed that he was mistreated by Orton, and during a November episode of SmackDown that same year, the feud culminated in a Street Fight match, which Orton won.

The match was well received by fans, and the WWE Universe would likely buy into another such rivalry between the two stars.

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#3. Their chemistry inside the ring

As previously noted, the Street Fight between Rhodes and Orton was well received by fans, which shows that the two superstars have amazing chemistry inside the squared circle.

One of their earliest interactions was way back in 2007, when Rhodes made his WWE TV debut. It was during a backstage segment where Orton introduced himself to Cody's father, the legendary Dusty Rhodes, before slapping the Hall of Famer in front of his son.

Fast forward to 2022, and the two would reunite during Orton’s 20th-anniversary celebration. A huge pop could be heard across the stadium by the time Rhodes made his way to the ring and hugged Orton.

The recently concluded Survivor Series: WarGames saw these two superstars reunite anew inside the ring as they, alongside Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, and reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, fended off the heel faction that is The Judgment Day. The two indeed put on a show at the premium live event, which made the fans happy.

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#2. Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are generational superstars

It was already mentioned on this list that both Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are generational wrestlers. Despite being the sons of Dusty Rhodes and Bob Orton, respectively, they made a name for themselves and broke away from the shadows of their legendary dads.

WWE’s creative team could look into this and turn it into an angle leading to a feud between the two superstars. The Viper may be currently signed with SmackDown to settle some unfinished business with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline, but since it is WWE, anything can happen.

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#1. That quest for WWE gold

Randy Orton is already a 14-time WWE Champion and was hailed as the youngest superstar (at 24) to ever win the title back in 2004.

As for The American Nightmare, he has yet to capture such a distinction, and he’s been on a quest to capture that seemingly elusive WWE title ever since his return to the company.

Despite the former already being a multi-time champ, Randy Orton could still be aiming to put another feather in his cap. To that end, this could be another plausible angle to build a narrative on WWE if they intend to do so. The Apex Predator could be portrayed as one of the superstars to stand in The American Nightmare’s way of capturing a WWE Championship.