Summary

Mark Henry praised Randy Orton's heel turn on the March 13, 2026 SmackDown, saying he is glad Orton is back to the Viper persona.

The source text says Orton turned against Cody Rhodes ahead of their WrestleMania 42 match.

Henry said that dangerous edge is what he wants from Orton and argued that veteran names from prior eras likely appreciate the shift as well.

He also compared the moment to his own career, saying his biggest earning stretch came when he leaned into the Hall of Pain version of his character.

Randy Orton's heel reset sharpens the Cody Rhodes WrestleMania build

Henry framing Orton as most effective when he is feared creates a concrete consequence, WWE's title feud with Cody Rhodes now leans harder into menace rather than mutual respect.

Because this follows the current Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton WrestleMania direction, the Viper turn gives the match a clearer emotional lane heading into WrestleMania 42.

Quotes

Quote from Mark Henry

"I’m so damn happy right now that Randy Orton is back to being the Viper. Don’t trust him, fear him, and treat him like he’s gonna punch you at any moment. That’s what I want. But I’m gonna tell you, you know who’s loving this more than me? Bob Armstrong, Bob Orton, the older guys. Jesse Ventura, I bet you he is laughing his ass off right now because they respect the gangster. They respect the guy that he knows he could be good, but he chooses to be bad. Regardless of how nice I was, respectful, as much as I love being Sexual Chocolate, as much as I love being the World’s Strongest Man, you know where I made the most money? In the Hall of Pain. The people wanted to see me kick people’s ass, run people through cages, whip people with belts. That’s what I want from Randy."

Sources

As reported by NoDQ.