Matt Hardy has praised Randy Orton’s heel turn on Cody Rhodes, saying it provided the spark that the WrestleMania 42 main event needed and opened the door to a range of possible outcomes inside the ring.
Speaking on the Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, Hardy said the program between the two men lacked urgency before the turn and that Orton’s betrayal of Rhodes changed everything. “I like the angle with Cody and Randy, because I felt like we needed something,” Hardy said. “It was a WrestleMania match, and they really needed some sort of spark to try and make a white hot reason to be invested in this match.”
Hardy said the execution of the angle landed exactly as intended. “Randy turned heel, and people like Randy as a heel,” Hardy said. “Randy is great as a heel. He got vicious, they have a history, and they really made it look and feel personal. I think it is the spark that was needed for the WrestleMania matchup.”
Hardy also floated the possibility that WWE could be keeping multiple creative options open heading into the match, including a potential double turn depending on the crowd’s reaction. “You are going to have a lot of people in the building that are going to be cheering for Cody, obviously, but I feel like you could also create an environment where you could do almost a perfect double turn if you chose to do such,” Hardy said. “They might even have a couple of different game plans. They might have an A plan and a B plan, maybe even a C plan for this match.”
Hardy was careful to clarify he was not predicting a double turn, only that the conditions for one existed if needed. “I am not suggesting they are going to do that,” Hardy said. “I am just saying that it is something that could be a possibility there, especially if there is a lot of blowback or repercussion to Cody in general being the champion going in.”
WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18 and 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit the Extreme Life of Matt Hardy with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
