Cody Rhodes has weighed in on Randy Orton’s future in WWE, hinting that fans may not have many chances left to see the veteran in action. In a recent interview, Rhodes tied Orton’s situation to the broader trend of legends gradually stepping away from the ring.
The comments came after the October 3 episode of SmackDown, where Rhodes teamed with Orton in the main event against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. The duo lost after Seth Rollins interfered, continuing his feud with Rhodes. That tag match, Rhodes said, sparked his reflections on Orton’s longevity.
Speaking with Local 12 in Cincinnati, Rhodes pointed to John Cena’s impending retirement as a reference. “When I say we don’t know how much longer we have, a lot of it stems from the fact that John Cena has made it so clear this is it, this is the final year,” he said. Rhodes noted that today’s stars are more decisive about retirement, describing wrestling as “a young man’s game.”
He added that both Orton and Cena have already done enough to leave the business in a strong place. “At a certain point, you can step out and say, ‘Hey, this thing is in the best place it’s ever been… I can walk away satisfied,’” Rhodes explained. Reflecting on his recent tag with Orton, he admitted: “I just get the sense we won’t get the opportunity to tag… I just get the sense we won’t get to do that again.”
Meanwhile, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has voiced his own concerns about Orton’s current role. On Inside the Ring, Henry argued that Orton is being underused as a babyface and is at his best as a menacing heel.
“Some people think he’s being underused right now, and I’m one of those people,” Henry said. “But I wouldn’t want Randy to be champion as good guy Randy. I want Randy in the role that’s tailor-made for him—coming in, punting people again, RKO’ing people’s grandmothers and kids, stomping everyone. Let Randy be Randy.”
To make his point, Henry compared Orton to the scorpion in the famous fable of the frog and the scorpion. “The toad says, ‘Why would you do that? Now we’re both gonna d-e.’ And the scorpion says, ‘You knew I was a scorpion when I got on your back.’ That’s Randy Orton. That’s who he is.”
As questions mount about how WWE should handle Orton in the twilight of his career, fans continue to debate whether “The Viper” should remain a face or embrace his darker instincts once more.