Cody Rhodes Issues Clarification After Evoking Concerns About Randy Orton’s in-Ring Retirement

Cody Rhodes has elaborated a bit further on what he meant by saying that he doesn't know how long Randy Orton will continue to wrestle.

Cody Rhodes Issues Clarification After Evoking Concerns About Randy Orton’s in-Ring Retirement

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton [via- WWE]

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

During his latest appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Cody Rhodes underscored the magnitude of getting to tag with his longtime mentor-cum-friend, Randy Orton. ‘The American Nightmare’, at one point, broached Orton inevitably hanging up his wrestling boots for good. His comments were perceived by many as if ‘The Viper’ had personally told him about his decision to step away somewhat sooner.

However, the former AEW EVP has now come up with a clarification. While speaking to Local 12, the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion revealed that what he said about the 14-time world champion pretty much stemmed from John Cena. What exactly does that mean? Rhodes noted how Cena informed everyone well in advance that he’d retire from in-ring competition by the end of this year.

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. A lot of wrestlers when they’re saying, ‘Hey I’m out,’ they’re meaning it more than ever, solely because it’s a young man’s game……………

Cody Rhodes via Local 12

‘The Prodigal Son’ stated that pro wrestling is a young man’s game. Keeping that in mind, there comes a point in every wrestler’s career when they have to make that hard call for their well-being. Take, for instance, AJ Styles, who has recently confirmed that he will retire at some point in 2026. Citing the reason, Styles affirmed that he wanted to ride off into the sunset before his body couldn’t respond anymore.

Rhodes has close ties with Orton, and he’s more privy to the mental state of ‘The Apex Predator’ than many others in the business. ‘The Quarterback’ also believes that Orton could call it a day on his legendary WWE career when he feels that the company is in the right direction and he can walk away with no regrets whatsoever. He’s already 45 and has had a back fusion surgery that kept him out of action for 18 months.

Will Randy Orton be upset about losing even in Cody Rhodes’ presence on SmackDown?

This past Friday on SmackDown, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton ended up losing to Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. The closing moments of the match saw Seth Rollins stomping The Viper’s head while Paul Heyman had the referee distracted. It allowed Reed to plant Orton with a Tsunami for the win. That loss could drive a wedge between the former Legacy teammates, especially after Heyman gaslighted them during the opening segment of the night.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton [via- WWE]

‘The Oracle’ predicted that Orton might eventually snap at Rhodes if the latter ate the pinfall. But if it was the other way around and ‘The Legend Killer’ was the one being put down, which actually happened, then he’d wonder where Rhodes was in that moment when he should’ve had his back.

‘The Wiseman’ said that wasn’t a prediction but a prophecy. Now that Orton has succumbed to a loss even in Rhodes’ presence, things are about to get quite interesting. There are already rumors of the St. Louis native ultimately turning his back on ‘The QB1’, which will see Orton chasing the WWE title with Rhodes trying his best to hold on to it.

Cody Rhodes talks career in Hollywood after Street Fighter role

Cody Rhodes was cast to play Guile in Street Fighter, and he even took three weeks off from WWE to film his part. Given that he has earnestly done what was asked of him, the 40-year-old has opened up if he’d like to pursue more opportunities in Hollywood. Speaking to Local 12, he simply said that he loves those kinds of opportunities.

Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes (via- WWE)

Rhodes is often fascinated by the fact that it allows a pro wrestler to tell stories in different forms and avenues that challenge their art of storytelling. He called the experience of filming Street Fighter very helpful, and he believes he returned to WWE television better than he left. The erstwhile Stardust emphasized that he’d like to carve his own path in the film industry if he were to go that route.

Rhodes noted that the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Dave Bautista, and John Cena are all gangbusters of the movie-making business. However, if Rhodes makes up his mind about going for broke in Hollywood, he’d want a different lane while acknowledging that he’s grateful for the aforementioned names and how they’re continuously breaking new ground.

Also Read: