Randy Orton delivered a brutal attack on Cody Rhodes during a contract signing for their WrestleMania 42 championship match on tonight’s (March 13) episode of SmackDown, leaving fans stunned and raising questions about the Undisputed WWE Champion’s condition.
The segment began with a seemingly cordial exchange, as Cody and Orton embraced, with Rhodes reflecting on their history and stating he’s “proud of always being Orton’s boy.” However, the atmosphere quickly shifted as Orton expressed his frustration, claiming Rhodes “doesn’t get it” and needs to win the championship at WrestleMania. He revealed the match wasn’t his initial plan, as he was originally slated to face Drew McIntyre for the gold.
Rhodes responded, acknowledging he understands he’ll be facing “the Legend Killer, the three most dangerous letters in WWE and everything that comes with it” when the bell rings. But Orton wasn’t willing to wait five weeks for the match to begin. Immediately after signing the contract, Orton turned aggressive, slamming Rhodes’ face into a table, delivering a low blow, and unleashing a sustained assault that left the champion bleeding.
Even attempts to intervene by Orton’s former tag team partner, Jelly Roll, proved futile, as Orton shoved him to the ground. The Apex Predator then returned to the ring to inflict further damage, using a steel chair to brutally attack Rhodes’ head against the ring steps. As WWE officials rushed to attend to the injured champion, Orton sat in the ring with the championship belt in his possession.
The shocking turn of events has sent ripples through the wrestling world, with many wondering if Cody Rhodes truly understands the challenge he faces at WrestleMania 42. The Undisputed WWE Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton is set to be a major event, as confirmed by Wrestling-World.com, and this latest development has undoubtedly heightened the stakes. You can find all the results from SmackDown here.
Let me know your reaction to Randy Orton’s shocking heel turn in the comments below, Cagesiders.
The match at WrestleMania 42, as highlighted in this YouTube preview, is now poised to be even more intense following Orton’s aggressive display.
