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With Cody Rhodes set to wrestle his friend Kevin Owens at Bash in Berlin as a sort of favor for always having his back, more than a few fans have had one question in particular about the “American Nightmare's” future schedule: why not give a similar shot to Randy Orton?
On paper, it makes sense, right? Rhodes and Orton came up together, with the former calling the latter one of his big WWE mentors, and with “The Viper” not growing any younger, giving him a massive storyline against the WWE Champion could be a money angle for fans and the wrestlers alike.
While it's unclear which way WWE might take things moving forward, as Rhodes does need other matches to put on his resume before he fully leans into the Road to WrestleMania, where he will be a prime target for whoever wins the Royal Rumble, Orton has a strong feeling that he and his fellow The Legacy member will share the ring again in the future.
Why? Well, as he noted in a special appearance on Rhodes' What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Orton plans to retire by the time he turns 50 and will likely pick a top opponent to send him off to greener pastures, with the “American Nightmare” the obvious choice should he remain one of the top stars in the WWE Universe.
“So I’m 44, I’d like to wrestle at least until I’m 50. God, that makes me feel so old. But men have done it before me and tore the house down,” Orton told Rhodes on What Do You Wanna Talk About? via EWrestling News.
“It depends who’s on top. If you were to ask me that question now and I had to give you an answer, I’d say you. Five years from now, maybe the answer’s different, but something tells me it won’t be.”
While it's unwise to count your chickens before they hatch, Orton's assumption is pretty spot-on, as Rhodes is currently positioned as a sort of heir apparent to John Cena, a true babyface hero who may not have a record-setting championship reign but will remain in the title picture for the foreseeable future as he juggles in-ring action, promotional opportunities, and Make A Wish appearances. Considering Orton is most loved for his time as a heel, swapping out the cheers of the crowd and sing-a-longs to his theme, “Voices,” for jeers as he Punts legends into retirement with a smile on his face, pitting his “Viper” character against the “American Nightmare” could create the sort of once-in-a-lifetime angle fans will be talking about forever, just like the two men would certainly hope for.
Cody Rhodes conditionally welcomes Roman Reigns back to WWE
Turning attention from Cody Rhodes' future with Randy Orton to his present on SmackDown, where a certain “Original Tribal Chief” has returned to the Blue Brand to confront the new Bloodline and their leader, Solo Sikoa, the “American Nightmare” was asked in his appearance at Fanatics Fest NYC about if he can co-exist on the same show as the man he defeated to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Ever the babyface, Rhodes noted that he's happy to work with anyone within the WWE Universe, but did note that if Reigns comes calling and wants another shot at his belt, he will not hesitate in putting him down on the spot.
“WWE and I don't mean this in a braggadocious way, is currently the most popular it's ever been. A considerable amount of that has to do with the Bloodline and Roman Reigns,” Rhodes told Fanatics Fest fans via Fightful. “There are people that think that forces cannot co-exist on the show. That's crazy. WWE's roster is the best that it's ever been. I am happy and glad to share SmackDown, to share RAW, to share every PLE with Roman Reigns. However, [the Undisputed WWE Championship], belongs to me.”
On paper, the way WWE brought back Reigns is nothing short of a stroke of genius, as he is being featured prominently in a top storyline, it feels like an attraction every time he steps foot in the ring, and, most importantly of all, he isn't just feuding with Rhodes once more, which would have seriously split the fanbase between the two stars instead of having the duo both be incredibly over at the same time. Will Rhodes eventually fight Reigns for the WWE Championship once more? More likely than not, yes, that feels like a very realistic scenario, but for now, they are both in their own lanes, and WWE is making that work, even if things can't stay that way forever.
