Cody Rhodes Reflects On Randy Orton's WWE Mentorship

While their latest encounter may have resulted in bloody faces and a swollen eye, Cody Rhodes still holds his relationship with Randy Orton close to his heart.

On the newest season of "WWE Unreal," Rhodes reminisced about his days learning under the 14-time world champion, especially during their run as a trio alongside Ted DiBiase in Legacy. "Randy and I have a lot of history both inside and outside the ring," Rhodes said. "My very first match on TV was with Randy ... after that, I was part of his faction, that being Legacy. Now, he's the one vying for my championship, and that's cool."

As Rhodes alluded to, Orton challenged him for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42, with celebrities Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll getting involved in the action as well. Rhodes retained the title after an RKO from Orton to McAfee opened the door for "The American Nightmare" to surprise the former Legacy leader with a Cross Rhodes. 16 years earlier, Orton had defeated Rhodes and DiBiase, his former young proteges, in a triple threat bout at WrestleMania 26.

"[WrestleMania 26] was my first real WrestleMania," Rhodes said. "Phoenix, with Randy and Ted. I wasn't even supposed to be in this match. Randy made the call to put me in it to make it the triple threat. I felt like we were linked forever. He was incredibly helpful to me. A really great mentor, a great opponent. I think about all the great wrestling things that Randy's taught me, from functional stuff to psychological stuff like waiting until the crowd is fully swelled before executing the punt."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "WWE Unreal" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.