3 Reasons why Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton at WWE Night of Champions is a MISTAKE

The latest episode of WWE RAW saw the King of the Ring 2025 semi-final bout between Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes. The contest was equally contested as both former world champions went all-out to secure their spot in the finals.

The American Nightmare emerged victorious, beating Jey Uso in the main event and punching his ticket to the finale against his mentor, Randy Orton, at the upcoming 2025 Night of Champions Premium Live Event.

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WWE is billing this bout as a mentor vs. prodigy mega contest. However, this listicle examines three reasons why Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton at Night of Champions 2025 is a mistake.

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#3. A future WWE WrestleMania main event ruined

Since Cody Rhodes returned to the Stamford-based promotion and became the company’s top guy, the WWE Universe had pitched multiple matches featuring him, and some of them came to fruition with time. However, a bout against Randy Orton, with whom he shares a rich history, was the one dream match that had yet to happen.

Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes was widely seen as a future WrestleMania main event and a long-term feud. However, with Night of Champions 2025, WWE may have tarnished the perfect plan for this megafeud.

#2. Predictable outcome

The King of the Ring 2025 finals between Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton is the most predictable bout on the Night of Champions card. The Viper recently faced John Cena at Backlash in their “final match” ever.

Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes is riding a road to redemption to get his undisputed title back from John Cena. The American Nightmare would most likely beat his mentor, Randy Orton, and get his Mania rematch against the Last Real Champion, as the Viper winning would make no sense.

#1. Ruining Randy Orton’s aura

Randy Orton came back to SmackDown after suffering a major loss at 2025 Backlash in his hometown against his arch-rival John Cena. The Stamford-based promotion immediately inserted him into the King of the Ring 2025 tournament.

However, Randy Orton will likely end up losing to Cody Rhodes. The Viper failing to win another major match against a top superstar would nix his unmatched aura and standing as a top contender on the current active roster.

About the author

Nayan is a WWE News and Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Poddar International, he began working as a YouTube script writer. Nayan then transitioned to Pinkvilla as a combat sports writer. He gained valuable experience there before finally coming under the banner of Sportskeeda.

Within 1.5 years, Nayan has written over 1,000 articles, interviewed MFN promotion owners, and conducted a Twitter campaign that gained over 50k retweets and more. He puts fact-checking and mindful journalism above everything by applying a three-check method, where he tries to verify reports from reliable sources and cross-check whether other major publications have covered them.

Looking back at his association with pro wrestling, Nayan recalls being hooked on the sport after watching Shawn Michael vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Since then, the product has been an inseparable part of his life.

Apart from The Heartbreak Kid being Nayan's favorite wrestler for his confidence and charisma, he is also a fan of Brock Lesnar due to The Beast's "work speaks louder than words" attitude.

Nayan can be found performing mixed martial arts and reading true crime in his free time.

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Edited by Rahul Madurawe