Cody Rhodes will be a happy man after Bash in Berlin as not only did he retain the Undisputed WWE Championship, but his friendship with Kevin Owens remains intact. While many expected Owens to turn his back on Rhodes at the German premium live event, the former did nothing of that sort and shook Rhodes' hand instead at the end of the night.
This moment between the two superstars was indeed sweet and something The American Nightmare will remember for a long time. However, the upcoming episode of SmackDown can cause Rhodes heartbreak as he could witness a massive betrayal from his close aide and mentor, Randy Orton.
Unlike Cody Rhodes, Orton was unsuccessful in beating Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship at Bash in Berlin. This anger, mixed with the fact that Rhodes chose Kevin Owens over Orton as a challenger, could lead to the latter turning heel and attacking the Undisputed WWE Champion.
If something along these lines takes place, then the rivalry between Rhodes and Orton will be epic to watch given the huge history the two share. While the angle is speculative, knowing Orton's history, it won't be surprising to see him turn his back on The American Nightmare.
Wrestling analyst says Cody Rhodes will be the victim of a heel turn towards the end of the year
Initially, Cody Rhodes' reign as the Undisputed WWE Champion saw him defend his belt against Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline. While Rhodes was successful in defending his belt, on numerous occasions, he fell victim to attacks by The Bloodline.
While these attacks are now seemingly a thing of the past, a WWE analyst recently said Cody Rhodes will be a victim of a heel turn from Randy Orton. The wrestling analyst in question is Sam Roberts. During an episode of the Notsam Wrestling podcast, Roberts said:
"This story is so far from over. And I've been saying this from the beginning, and I know you've heard me say it, but I love the idea that this is the slow progression of Kevin Owens turning, right? And I feel like because it's being done slowly, it can take us through Bad Blood, maybe into Survivor Series, and just as we're getting towards that end of the year, Cody can get done with Kevin Owens, go, 'Randy, can you believe how maniacal Kevin Owens became?' And then Randy turns on Cody too." [30:13 - 30:53]
If something along these lines takes place, it will be interesting to see how Cody Rhodes deals with the situation. It will also be worth observing if anyone comes out to save the Undisputed WWE Champion.