Randy Orton Is The Perfect Sacrifice For Cody Rhodes Vs. Roman Reigns At WrestleMania 40

Highlights

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have a history together as part of The Legacy faction in WWE.
Cody Rhodes brought Randy Orton back to WWE at Survivor Series 2023.
Randy Orton's feud with Roman Reigns can be used to fuel Cody Rhodes' desire for revenge and set up a personal storyline at WrestleMania 40.

When Cody Rhodes lost to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 last year, fans were shocked. It felt like it was Cody's time. Since then, the American Nightmare has been on a path to finish his story, but with him on Raw, and the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion on SmackDown, how does WWE get there if a WrestleMania 40 rematch is the plan? The simplest route is to have Rhodes win the Royal Rumble again, but that doesn't seem the best option. For one, CM Punk is the overwhelming favorite this time, and to have Cody win a second year in a row would feel cheap.

The truth is that Cody Rhodes doesn't need another Royal Rumble win anyway. The perfect storyline path to get him back to Roman Reigns is right there, and unfortunately for Randy Orton, it goes right through him. Orton isn't going to beat Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, but his friendship with Cody Rhodes is how WWE gets on the road to WrestleMania 40.

Cody Rhodes Brought Randy Orton Back To WWE

Cody Rhodes And Randy Orton Were Part Of The Legacy

The Legacy consisted of Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes had a WWE feud
Cody Rhodes brought Randy Orton back at Survivor Series

In 2008, Randy Orton was one of WWE's biggest heels. Cody Rhodes was an up-and-coming midcarder, but then Orton became the leader of the villainous faction The Legacy, with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. as his henchmen. The group was together until 2010, with Rhodes' and DiBiase's mission being to protect Orton, especially leading into his WrestleMania 25 match with Triple H. The faction ended when Orton, figuring out that Rhodes and DiBiase were going to turn on him, decided to turn on them first.

Orton and Rhodes had a decent feud before and after that, but they spent much of their WWE time apart, with Orton always at the top, and Rhodes falling into his awful Stardust gimmick. Still, when Rhodes returned to WWE in 2022, he eventually sought out Orton, giving his friend a hug in the ring on the 20th anniversary of the Viper's WWE career. It was now Rhodes' turn to be at the top, while Orton went on an 18-month-long hiatus due to a back injury. No matter where they were in their careers, Orton and Rhodes stayed close due to those early days together on the road. Orton, in an interview with Inside the Ropes last year, said of Cody:

"I was still young when he came up, and I was still kind of in a period of time where I needed a babysitter … Cody, probably, is responsible for getting me town to town safely for a good three years of my career. If it wasn’t for him, I might not be here right now.” (h/t ClutchPoints)

Then came Survivor Series 2023, with Team Rhodes going up against Team Judgment Day. Cody's team needed a fifth member and the American Nightmare told his partners he had an old friend he'd call. We all knew who he was talking about. At Survivor Series, fans went nuts when the Legend Killer returned. From a storyline perspective, he has Rhodes to thank for that.

Why Cody Rhodes Needs To Win Back To Back Royal Rumbles

Some may think that Cody Rhodes winning the Royal Rumble again is too predictable, but for him to finally conquer Roman Reigns, it has to happen.

Randy Orton Will Face Roman Reigns At The Royal Rumble

The Bloodline Took Out Randy Orton In 2022

Rated RK-Bro lost the tag team championships to The Usos
Randy Orton was written off TV by The Bloodline
Randy Orton signed with SmackDown to get revenge on The Bloodline

Back in May, Orton was on top of the wrestling world as part of RK-Bro, his hilarious partnership with Matt Riddle. The two were tag team champions, but with Orton in bad shape, RK-Bro dropped the titles in May of that year, before an attack by The Bloodline wrote him off. It was Cody Rhodes who got Orton to come back, but given the choice between signing with Raw or SmackDown, the Viper chose SmackDown, so he could finally get his revenge on Roman Reigns and his family.

Randy Orton will get his chance at revenge when he faces Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble. While it should be a phenomenal match, with Orton in the best shape we've ever seen him in, the Legend Killer isn't killing the Tribal Chief. This gives Reigns something to do before WrestleMania, but that doesn't mean his feud with Orton only has to be filler. It can set the stage for the Grandest Stage of Them All.

Why Rated-RKO Was The Best Randy Orton Tag Team (& Why RK-Bro Was Better)

Randy Orton is mostly known for his singles career in WWE, but he was involved in two standout tag teams. Was he better in RK-Bro or Rated RKO?

Randy Orton's Feud With Roman Reigns Is A Plus For Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes Can Save Randy Orton From The Bloodline

Randy Orton is going to lose to Roman Reigns, but he isn't going down without a fight. That will cost him, as the remnants of The Bloodline are going to viciously attack him at some point. Imagine the scenario where Rhodes is supporting Orton leading up to the Royal Rumble, but when Orton loses at the PLE, the Viper is brutally beaten down by Reigns and his cousins. How could Cody not save him, either right then or on the following SmackDown? With Orton fallen, Rhodes will take up his spear and declare that he has to be the one to finally destroy Roman for what he did to his close friend.

The story writes itself from there. It's no longer about championships and finishing a story, but something more personal. That's what the best wrestling stories are. At the end of WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes holds up the title he's always wanted, not just as a prize, but as proof that he took down the man who took down so many others, including his friend.