Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton receives high praise from ex-WWE manager (Exclusive)

Cody Rhodes defeated Randy Orton at WWE Night of Champions on June 28 to win the King of the Ring tournament. Dutch Mantell, formerly known as Zeb Colter in WWE, recently gave his thoughts on the 20-minute match.

Rhodes secured the victory after hitting his long-time friend with his Cross Rhodes finisher. The closing stages also saw Orton introduce a steel chair and remove a turnbuckle pad in a desperate attempt to win the bout.

Mantell appeared on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine alongside reporter Bill Apter, host Mac Davis, and WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long. The legendary manager praised Orton and Rhodes' ability to adjust their in-ring approach in front of the excited fans in Saudi Arabia.

"The match between Cody and Orton was a class in how to do it," Mantell said. "They timed it right, and what I noticed about it, of course, those fans are rabid. They are loud. And that meant they had to do less. What made that match better than what it was was the fans." [0:37 – 1:03]

Watch the video above to hear the panel praise another Night of Champions match.

Dutch Mantell rates Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton among WWE's best

Over the last two decades, Randy Orton has been widely viewed as one of WWE's most talented in-ring performers. Cody Rhodes has also earned plaudits for his match quality since returning in 2022.

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According to Dutch Mantell, the King of the Ring final was one of this generation's best WWE encounters:

"They took their time, told a story, and you can almost have somebody who is just basically hell-bent on believing that it's set up, and you couldn't tell any set-ups in that. You couldn't tell any pulled punches or kicks. They were kinda beating the cr*p out of each other. One of the best matches I think I have seen in the last 10-15 years." [1:04 – 1:33]

As a result of the victory, Cody Rhodes will challenge John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam on August 2-3 in a WrestleMania 41 rematch.

Please credit The Wrestling Time Machine and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart