Randy Orton signed his WrestleMania 42 contract on Friday’s SmackDown in Phoenix, then immediately attacked Cody Rhodes in a violent heel turn that left the Undisputed WWE Champion bloodied and motionless with his head wedged against the ring steps.
The segment closed SmackDown with Orton sitting in a chair in the ring, the WWE Championship on his lap, staring down at the destruction he caused.
The Contract Signing
SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis brought out Orton first, followed by Rhodes. The tone was initially respectful and emotional.
Rhodes spoke about their history, dating back to his 2007 WWE debut when his first match was against Orton. He said he watched Orton win the Royal Rumble and main-event WrestleMania, and wanted to follow the same path. Rhodes recalled leaving WWE and Orton telling him he believed he would be a World Champion. When Rhodes returned, he said he did not have his usual support system around him, but he had Orton.
“I have always been proud to be Randy’s boy,” Rhodes said. He signed the contract and handed it to Orton.
Orton stood up, looked at the contract, pointed at the WrestleMania sign, and told Rhodes, “I need that.” He said it was supposed to be easy. “It was supposed to be Drew,” Orton said.
Rhodes tried to set the tone for the match. He told Orton he wants the Legend Killer. He wants the version of Orton that JBL once said he would build a wrestler around. He expects the man with “the three most dangerous letters in WWE.”
“That is when the bell rings,” Rhodes said. “When the last bell rings, I will always love Randy.”
Orton signed the contract. They shook hands and hugged.
The Attack
Orton then threw Rhodes into the contract signing table and kicked him below the belt. He ripped off Rhodes’ suspenders and shirt, then threw him to the floor.
Orton sent Rhodes into the announce table and hit him with the ring steps. Aldis tried to intervene and asked what was going on. Orton shoved him away.
Orton rubbed the blood on Rhodes’ head and hit him with forearms. He sent Rhodes into the ring steps a second time, then placed Rhodes on the announce table and wedged his head against the side of the steel ring steps.
Officials came out to stop him. Jelly Roll, who had appeared earlier in the show, was among those at ringside. Orton shoved Jelly Roll to the ground, apparently not realizing who it was. Orton then left toward the back.
Medical staff and officials checked on Rhodes, but Orton returned with a steel chair. He swung the chair into the ring steps while Rhodes’ head was still positioned against them. Orton stood over Rhodes, then went back into the ring, picked up the Undisputed WWE Championship, sat down in the chair, and placed the belt on his lap.
SmackDown went to credits with Orton sitting in the ring holding the title he intends to take at WrestleMania. This was a heated angle and it’s been a very long time since we’ve seen blood on WWE TV. They did everything needed to get this feud to the next level to where it genuinely feels like a big-time WrestleMania main event.
Rhodes said on the Chris Van Vliet podcast earlier this week that he views Orton as “the devil on my shoulder” compared to John Cena as the angel. He also said wrestling Orton at WrestleMania “feels like it’s never happened before” despite their extensive history.
Orton has not worked as a heel since his rivalry with Rhodes in 2024 during the build to SummerSlam. His most recent heel turn before that was during the 2020 feud with Edge.
WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18-19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Rhodes vs. Orton for the Undisputed WWE Championship is confirmed for one of the two main events.
