Additional Details On WWE Shifting To Cody Rhodes Vs. Randy Orton At WrestleMania 42
Fans, we are just 36 days away from WWE WrestleMania 42, And as of today, Cody Rhodes is securely locked in to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton in a featured match at "The Showcase of the Immortals."
Prior to Rhodes winning the championship back for the third time in his WWE career last Friday, reports went back and forth on whether former champion, Drew McIntyre, would carry the championship to Las Vegas, and if he would defend it against just Rhodes, or entangle other men who've been eyeing the coveted prize, like Orton, Sami Zayn, and Jacob Fatu, in a multi-man match. Now, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has offered another update, citing trusted sources working closely on the matter that say "The American Nightmare" and "The Viper" will be the only two athletes fighting for the belt next month. Before that, the direction for this upcoming showdown was discussed and changed four different times, according to this week's newsletter.
What's interesting to note is that originally in their drafted plans, the company entertained the idea of having Rhodes face the man whom he first won the Undisputed Championship from, Roman Reigns. The angle between the two of them would've culminated in a Hell in a Cell match. However, plans for that were axed after Seth Rollins obtained his shoulder injury, and the decision to put the title back on McIntyre. The concept of having a Hell in a Cell match was also heavily discussed to happen between McIntyre and Rhodes for the title at his year's "Super Bowl of Pro Wrestling," but that too was dismissed, considering that would be their fourth singles meeting on a major show in the past several months. The decision for Orton to win this year's Men's Elimination Chamber was in the works since the first week of February.
Although John Cena is the first-ever 17-time World Champion in WWE history, Orton is looking to catch up to Cena's impressive record by etching another world title tally to his already calculated career by becoming a 15-time World Champion. Tonight on "WWE SmackDown," Rhodes and Orton will sign on the dotted line, confirming their impending title clash. The day in which Rhodes will defend his title against Orton on either April 18 or 19 has not been announced yet.