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Randy Orton is currently off WWE television due to a knee injury that got worse during his run in the 2024 King of the Ring tournament. He has not been seen since losing the final to Gunther at the King and Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was a controversial loss, too, as Orton's shoulder was off the mat during the final pinfall.
As a result, The Viper may return with a vengeance and try to get an Undisputed WWE Championship shot against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam 2024 due to the injustice. However, knowing how tricky SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis can be to convince, The Legend Killer may as well go right after the champion.
Cody Rhodes will likely keep the belt heading into SummerSlam 2024, which is great timing. Randy Orton can attack The American Nightmare on his WWE return to stake his claim for a title shot, much like how AJ Styles did, sans the fake retirement part.
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This would lead to the perfect feud, between the teacher and the student, with their last match coming back in 2013. Rhodes and Orton go way back, with their history dating back to Cody's in-ring debut in WWE.
It also helps that they are friends in real life, truly making their potential feud even more personal. There are a lot of storytelling opportunities if Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton face off at The Biggest Party of the Summer.
Randy Orton might even dethrone Cody Rhodes at WWE SummerSlam 2024
If Randy Orton does challenge Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam 2024, there is a chance he will win the Undisputed WWE Championship. While it might seem damaging to The American Nightmare at first, it could give him a mini-breather to ensure there is not any burnout by the time The Rock returns to challenge him.
Cody Rhodes would regain the Undisputed WWE Championship before the end of the feud if he does lose it. This way, Randy Orton can become a 15-time World Champion, taking one step closer to the historic record held by Ric Flair and John Cena.
Considering how much of a mentor Orton was to Rhodes, WWE can easily tell the story that The Viper might be a mountain too high for Cody to climb. That is, until The American Nightmare finally gets the job done, potentially inside Hell in a Cell. What a feud this could be, and all it will take is a heel turn from Randy Orton.
