Summary

Cody Rhodes says his history with Randy Orton goes all the way back to the start of his WWE career, and he believes that background has prepared him for their WrestleMania 42 showdown.

Speaking during a recent interview, Rhodes pointed to Orton's place in his early run, from their first WWE match to their time together in Legacy. He said that experience gave him a clear understanding of what it will take to finally put Orton down.

The rivalry has already picked up another wrinkle because of Pat McAfee's involvement, something Rhodes also addressed in a sharper tone. That issue has been hovering over the build in recent weeks, including Pat McAfee's latest shot at Cody Rhodes before Randy Orton's SmackDown attack.

Quote from Cody Rhodes

"His dad and my dad came up on the roads together, Cowboy Bob, Dusty Rhodes. Randy brought me into WWE. My first match at WWE was against Randy Orton. His faction, the only faction he ever led, Legacy. I was one of the guys in Legacy. I learned everything it will take to beat Randy Orton from Randy Orton."

Rhodes later went on to say:

"Get ready to look up at the lights, pal. Yeah, no, at this point, there's no hugs, there's no handshakes. All that love that exists between us got thrown away for this Pat McAfee element, and great. Get ready to look up at the lights."

What Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton history means for WrestleMania 42

Rhodes is leaning into more than a standard hype line here. By bringing up Legacy and Orton's role in his earliest WWE run, he is framing this match as a fight built on years of shared history instead of a last-minute WrestleMania program.

That also gives the match a more personal edge. Rhodes is not presenting Orton as just another challenger, he is talking about someone who helped shape his career and someone he now wants to beat on the biggest stage possible. With McAfee now pulled into the story as well, WWE has another layer to play with as the WrestleMania 42 main event gets closer.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.