As Randy Orton once again stunned the WWE Universe by working his way into another World Title opportunity at WrestleMania, speculation has been running wild across social media about who he could face at the biggest event of the year in Las Vegas.
While some expected a multi-man championship bout at the Show of Shows, that may not be the direction WWE is leaning toward. Current internal discussions reportedly favor a high-stakes one-on-one showdown with Cody Rhodes, one that could deliver the kind of marquee clash fans have been hoping to see.
Randy Orton Might Be Facing Cody Rhodes At WrestleMania 42 For The WWE Title
Although the road to WrestleMania 42 initially lacked momentum following the Royal Rumble, the landscape shifted dramatically after Elimination Chamber. Now, the mystery surrounding the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania may finally have some clarity.
On the latest episode of Self Made Sessions, wrestling insider Ibou shared a significant update, revealing plans he claims to have heard regarding the WWE Championship bout scheduled for WrestleMania 42.
Ibou claimed that he had been informed as early as February by Rhodes’ camp that the company was planning a major singles showdown for the title at WrestleMania. According to him, the expected matchup would see Rhodes defend the WWE Championship against Randy Orton.
Ibou revealed, “Okay, I was told on February 2, straight up explicitly, that the WWE Championship match, according to Cody’s camp, was Cody versus Randy Orton”.
He further explained that he had refrained from discussing the information earlier because WWE’s creative direction had been shifting frequently, with ideas reportedly changing on a near-daily basis.
While many fans have speculated about a potential multi-man title match involving stars like Jacob Fatu and Rhodes, the current developments may actually be setting the stage for a different direction at the grandest stage of them all.
According to Ibou, the storyline threads could ultimately lead to a separate singles clash between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania rather than placing them both in the title picture.
Speaking about the possibility of a Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu matchup, he stated, “But now I’m thinking they’re just gonna do Jacob and Drew non-title on this show”.
He also noted that while the idea of a multi-man match could still be revisited, the consistent plan behind the scenes has reportedly been to keep the WWE Championship bout at WrestleMania as a high-stakes singles encounter.
As Drew McIntyre once again failed to overcome his long-standing obsession with Rhodes, he stormed into the Men’s Elimination Chamber match and launched a brutal attack on ‘The American Nightmare.’
The interference ultimately cost Rhodes the match, leading to a defeat at the hands of his former mentor. In the aftermath, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis made it official during the post-show that ‘The Scottish Warrior’ would put his WWE Championship on the line against Rhodes on the upcoming episode of SmackDown.
The Legacy Between Randy Orton And Cody Rhodes Runs Deep In WWE History
It would be a huge lie to say that no one is interested in seeing Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton go at it on the biggest stage of them all, as their rivalry has been teased numerous times over the years since ‘The American Nightmare’ returned to the company at WrestleMania 38.
‘The Apex Predator’ has given several looks to Rhodes’ WWE title during the time he was the champ in 2024, and it might be the perfect time to set up a fierce rivalry between two old friends, or rivals afterall.
From their Legacy faction days to the current era, where Rhodes is no longer a protege of Orton, the storytelling in this rivalry might be a huge factor for it to become an instant classic for the WWE title.
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The seeds have already been sown, and fans are ready to witness two veterans of the industry face off, once again, after being on the same road for several years, making names for themselves around the world. It remains to be seen how this rivalry turns out and whether it will deliver an instant classic or not.
