Randy Orton heard the voices in his head; they counseled him, they understood, and they almost led him to his 15th, history-making run with the Undisputed WWE Championship against his once good friend Cody Rhodes in the main event of night one of WWE WrestleMania 42 – Night 1. It was supposed to be easy, said Orton, but Cody Rhodes got in the way, and there was no stopping “The Viper” from striking.
The “Apex Predator” brutalized those who dared stand in his way of number 15, and unfortunately, Cody Rhodes, a man whom he called a friend and a brother, was the one standing in his way. Randy Orton did such vile things to Cody and the people that orbited him, reinforcing the notion that Orton will stop at absolutely nothing to make history and further his legacy as one of WWE’s best to do it.
Suffice it to say, this wasn’t a Bret Hart technical classic of a wrestling match; this was an all-out war for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Given that Cody Rhodes dominated most of the match, but once Orton got his bearings, he was unstoppable, looking like he tapped into the darkest places of his mind. Pat McAfee felt this first-hand.
McAfee was supposed to be the backup of Orton, even running in for the pin as Charles Robinson, the WWE official assigned to this main event, was laid out due to an errant RKO. Cody Rhodes would kick out, even after eating an RKO in mid-air after he tried to hit a Super Cody Cutter. McAfee did not count fast enough, or so Orton thought. Hellbent on securing his 15th world title, Orton would RKO McAfee, but Cody was there and caught Orton with a Cross Rhodes to retain.
It should’ve been a happy ending to night 1 of WrestleMania 42, but it wasn’t. Orton would hit Rhodes from the back, take the Undisputed WWE Title and deliver a dome shot that almost knocked Rhodes out. Randy Orton finally did what he can’t come back from. In the aftermath of the main event of WrestleMania 42, Randy Orton would punt Cody Rhodes so hard that the “American Nightmare” would go limp, and Orton had no shred of remorse.
Despite retaining the Undisputed WWE Title, Cody Rhodes’ time as champion is in question, and it seems like it’s only a matter of time until Randy Orton secures his 15th world title. WWE Universe, this version of Randy Orton is something we’ve seen before, and it’s merciless, unapologetic, and most of all, violent.
