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As one of the biggest stars not just in WWE today, but one of the biggest and most accomplished names in professional wrestling history, it is very likely that Randy Orton makes an appearance tonight at WWE Wrestlepalooza, set to mark WWE's first PLE on ESPN.
And with Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre set to main event the show with the WWE Championship, Orton, heavily involved in the feud with a rich personal history with both men, being a 14-time World Champion himself, may just be involved in the match's finish.
In this article, we will discuss three things that Randy Orton could do at Wrestlepalooza tonight (and, spoiler alert, they all have to do with Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, the WWE Championship, and the future of SmackDown).
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#3 Randy Orton could accidentally help Drew McIntyre win the WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes at Wrestlepalooza
A ref bump and a dusty finish in major World Championship matches have been somewhat frequent over the past few years, and Cody Rhodes' matches have been the exception, because as the top babyface in the company, he chooses to do things the honorable way, and in most cases, gets the job done. As for his opponents, the heel trying to cheat through help from his allies has been a rare occurrence, too.
That is what makes this possibility so interesting. Drew McIntyre won't hesitate to pull out every dirty trick in the book to claim the WWE Championship tomorrow night. Randy Orton, an archenemy of The Scottish Psycopath and one of The American Nightmare's mentors, may choose to do something about it.
But here's the kicker: it could backfire. Maybe The Viper could get overzealous. Maybe there could be an argument between The Apex Predator and The American Nightmare after the latter refuses help. Maybe Drew McIntyre could just outsmart everybody or take advantage of miscommunication.
Either way, it opens up various angles to be explored between Orton and Rhodes, while also having the option to either have all three men directly involved together immediately, or separating two and exploring a more focused one-on-one dynamic. It would also mark a massive title change at Wrestlepalooza, and for a variety of reasons, it does make sense for Drew McIntyre to win the WWE Championship tonight.
#2 Randy Orton could turn on Cody Rhodes after helping him retain the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre
The setup of the previous possibility remains applicable here, except in this case, Randy Orton could succeed in helping Cody Rhodes retain the WWE Championship. However, Orton could then proceed to turn on Cody, RKO'ing him and turning heel in the process.
There are two questions as to the "why" of this from Orton's perspective. If Orton is going to turn on Cody, why not turn on him to cost him the title? Well, because Orton wants to be the one to take the title from Rhodes. This feud may be personal to the point that it does not need titles, but Orton knows how much the title means to Cody.
Moreover, he has been gunning for No. 15 for quite some time now. That answers the second question, too. Orton isn't focused on strictly business. He wants the WWE Championship, but he wants to take it FROM CODY, not just anyone. This finish would set up Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton for the WWE Championship through at least the fall.
The only problem: it would leave Drew McIntyre dead in the water. One may argue that it leaves room for a Triple Threat feud as well, but watering down the Rhodes-Orton conflict immediately after the turn would make sense. It has been building for decades, and it does not need or must not go through a Triple Threat phase before turning into a full-fledged bloodbath.
#1 Randy Orton could return to attack Cody Rhodes after he retains the WWE Championship at Wrestlepalooza
Instead of interfering in the match at all, Randy Orton could simply wait to strike when the time is right, taking out the champion right before the show goes off the air. At Wrestlepalooza, Cody Rhodes could defeat Drew McIntyre in a classic main event, devoid of any interference, if not other shenanigans too.
The reasoning is twofold: in kayfabe, Randy Orton may choose to turn his focus away from who he is going after and instead, look at WHAT he is going after. As the Apex Predator, that means one thing: the WWE Championship. Whether or not that translates into an instant heel turn, or Orton trying to gaslight Cody into believing that his surprising attack will have been strictly business, remains to be seen.
From a booking and presentation standpoint, that means two of the best professional wrestlers in the world going out and delivering a classic and clean main event, while also ensuring that Wrestlepalooza ends with a bang, leaving plenty of questions waiting to be answered on next week's Friday Night SmackDown.
