Summary

Randy Orton took his WrestleMania 42 feud with Cody Rhodes in a harsher direction on the final episode of WWE SmackDown before their Undisputed WWE Championship match.

Orton said he does not need Pat McAfee, but wants him involved because McAfee tells him what he needs to hear. He then turned his focus to Rhodes, accusing the champion of taking from him while offering little in return during the years they spent aligned.

That promo also continued the Pat McAfee thread that has been hanging over the match in recent weeks. It comes after Rhodes recently argued in another WrestleMania 42 build segment that Orton's pursuit of a 15th world title should not be tied to McAfee.

Quote from Randy Orton

"All Cody Rhodes does is take, take, take. Pat McAfee has done more for me, my career, and my legacy than Cody Rhodes has done in half of a lifetime. Cody thinks that bringing McAfee into the fold hurts my legacy. No, Cody. You got it wrong. Helping you these last few years has hurt my legacy [more] than anything else. So tomorrow, WrestleMania, day one, night one, main event, WrestleMania 42, I'm gonna fix it. I'm gonna right the wrongs. I'm gonna fix my legacy. I'm gonna take number 15 home where it belongs. I'm gonna do it with the three most dangerous letters in all of sports entertainment: RKO."

What Orton's promo changes for Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42

Orton framed this title match as more than a championship opportunity. By saying Rhodes has hurt his legacy, he turned the WrestleMania main event into a personal reckoning instead of a simple teacher-versus-student showdown.

That matters because Rhodes is no longer just defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against a familiar rival. He is walking into WrestleMania against an Orton who is presenting this as a chance to erase years of frustration, while McAfee's presence keeps adding another layer of tension to the match presentation.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.