Randy Orton has finally done it as he has turned heel on Cody Rhodes. On the latest episode of WWE SmackDown it was Randy Orton who pulled the trigger and he turned on his friend who is also the WWE Champion. This needed to happen as there cannot be 2 Babyfaces in the Road to WrestleMania 42. The main event of WrestleMania is a sacrosanct place and there must be a heel and a babyface.
Let’s talk about the Randy Orton Heel Turn on Cody Rhodes
The Apex Predator is Back
It was the contract signing between the two friends to make the WWE Championship Match official for WrestleMania 42. Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton came out to huge pops and they were showing respect towards each other. Randy Orton was excited to main event WrestleMania with Cody Rhodes, someone who he helped get his footing in WWE. Both men signed the contract and the fans were in the corner of Randy Orton as they were cheering for him throughout the segment. It was looking all good and as they hugged Randy Orton turned heel. It was a shocking heel turn because the WWE fans expected Cody Rhodes to turn heel looking at the negative reaction. Randy Orton first banged the head of Cody Rhodes through the table and then kicked him in the nuts.
This has been the third WrestleMania in a row where an all time Legend has turned heel on Cody Rhodes. At WrestleMania 40 it was The Rock in one of the greatest segments of the last decade. Then in 2025 it was John Cena who had probably the most shocking heel turn since Hulk Hogan in 1997. That heel turn did not work at all. And this year it is Randy Orton who has turned heel. This is a risky move by WWE as Randy Orton is at the peak of his popularity with the WWE fans as they are singing his theme song every week. They will not boo him like they didn’t boo John Cena last year. It is true that Randy Orton works best as a heel but this time Triple H should have taken the risk and turned Cody Rhodes. Then this match would have been must see as a heel Cody Rhodes against the babyface Randy Orton is magical.
However now that it has been done and there is still 5 weeks worth of story left to tell, Triple H can really double down and have this match be the one that is much better than the one Cody Rhodes had last year. Randy Orton will know what to do and he will have to come up with something else other than to turn at the fans because nobody will buy it and they will cheer him even more. Cody Rhodes will have to do excellent work in order to not let a repeat of WrestleMania 41 happen again. Brandi Rhodes may have to make a short appearance and face the brutality of Randy Orton. She is the only one that can make the WWE fans turn against Randy Orton as Randy Orton will do to her what he did to Stephanie McMahon in 2009 against Triple H.
