WrestleMania 42 is over, and I don't think I need to repeat what fans were saying about Night One. The ads and match times were bad enough, and if that weren't upsetting enough, I think they got the main event result wrong. Randy Orton fell short of defeating Cody Rhodes, but there is still time for WWE to correct course going forward in the 2026 TV schedule.
I love Cody Rhodes, but what a waste to put Randy Orton back on the sidelines when he's doing some of the best character work of his career? Fortunately, I'm confident that this can be made right, and more importantly, be done the right way with the WWE seemingly having a better hold on the situation.
Now With The Storyline Reset, Randy Needs To Win At Backlash
Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes already had the perfect storyline, but it was negatively impacted by alleged interference by TKO CEO Ari Emmanuel, who requested Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll be worked into the main event. It only got worse when McAfee appeared on the show and declared that he and Randy would usher back in the Attitude Era if they won at WrestleMania 42. He also said that if Randy lost, he would exit the WWE "forever." Keep in mind, McAfee already said a month prior to that promo that he was done in the WWE.
Now, McAfee is out of the picture, and the WWE can reset and tell the story of Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton that it originally wanted to. Plus, we get the added perk of Orton embracing his heel persona once more, and even bringing back the iconic "Punt Kick" finisher he hasn't used in over a decade. Let's have them run it back, but make it about their decades in the business and less about celebrities.
Randy Could Get The Title Sooner, If Cody's Injury Leaves Him Unable To Wrestle
There's even a chance Randy could get the title sooner, as Cody Rhodes may potentially need to vacate the title after news circulated that he sustained a serious injury to his orbital bone. If that were the case, it's possible Orton could win the title in a tournament, or maybe he gets a rematch and "punts" Rhodes in his injured eye and takes the title so Rhodes can take some time off.
I'm more skeptical of the latter scenario, considering we're talking about Cody Rhodes. Let's not forget he wrestled Seth Rollins with a torn pec muscle, so unless he's medically barred from competing, he's probably going to be at Backlash.
The only scenario I wouldn't want is for Rhodes to be sidelined and take the title with him. No one wins in that scenario, and when even Roman Reigns committed to appearing full-time on television again, I can't imagine the WWE will be happy with Rhodes going part-time. At least, not when he has the title in hand, so let's do the right thing and put it on Randy. He still needs a few wins to reach my ultimate dream of shattering John Cena's championship record, and I need to see that.
We'll see what happens as the month continues, and what plans are in place for Backlash. I'm rooting for Randy to win a title once again, if only to see The Viper get some more time at the top before ultimately being dethroned by someone else.
