Cody Rhodes has spent most of 2026 in a WWE rivalry with Randy Orton, and the two meet next in a Last Man Standing match at Crown Jewel. The event takes place Nov. 7, 2026, at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis made the match on the Oct. 23 SmackDown, and Rhodes added the stipulation before Orton agreed to it. The feud began with an attack in March.
How Randy Orton Turned On Cody Rhodes
Rhodes and Orton were stablemates in Legacy, and the pair teamed on SmackDown in October 2025. Orton won the men’s Elimination Chamber match on Feb. 28, 2026, earning a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship. Rhodes won the title back from Drew McIntyre on the March 6 SmackDown, setting up the WrestleMania 42 match.
The partnership ended at the March 13 contract signing in Phoenix. After a handshake, Orton slammed Rhodes’ head into the table and later onto the steel steps. Orton shoved Aldis and Jelly Roll aside, as officials tried to restore order, then came back with a chair before sitting down with the championship belt. Pat McAfee was later revealed as Orton’s adviser, promising never to appear on wrestling television again if the Viper lost at WrestleMania.
Orton entered WrestleMania 42 chasing a 15th world championship. Night One took place April 18 at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., with the title match as the main event. McAfee came out in a referee’s shirt to count a pin attempt, and Orton hit McAfee with an RKO after Rhodes kicked out. A Cross Rhodes ended the match after nearly 23 minutes. Once the bell rang, Orton struck the winner with the title belt and delivered a punt.
How Randy Orton Cost Cody Rhodes At SummerSlam
Rhodes lost the Undisputed WWE Championship on June 27 at Night of Champions, when Sami Zayn scored a roll-up in a Triple Threat that also included Gunther. CM Punk won the title from Zayn on the July 6 Raw in the Chicago area. Rhodes challenged Punk at SummerSlam on Aug. 1 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Before that match, Orton had been absent from WWE programming since WrestleMania 42. The return came while the referee was down, ending with an RKO on Rhodes. Punk followed with a GTS and retained the title.
On the Aug. 14 SmackDown at TD Garden in Boston, Orton attacked Rhodes before a scheduled main event against Zayn. The brawl spilled into the crowd, and referees and officials separated the two, as the show went off the air. Aldis booked a singles rematch for Sunday Night’s Main Event on Sept. 6 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Rhodes controlled most of that rematch, bloodying Orton outside the ring and hitting multiple Cross Rhodes while referee Charles Robinson was down. With Rhodes lining up a punt, Orton raised both hands in surrender. Referee Eddie Arango stepped between the two, which opened the door for low blows to Arango and Rhodes. An RKO followed, and Orton scored the pin, as Robinson crawled back into the ring.
The October Ambushes That Led To Riyadh
Rhodes, Kevin Owens, and Johnny Gargano met on the Oct. 2 SmackDown at Ball Arena in Denver. The Triple Threat decided the final spot in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Orton pulled the referee out of the ring with Rhodes closing in on a victory. A moment later, Owens pinned Gargano while Orton held Rhodes by the boots. The chase that followed spilled into the stands, as the broadcast ended.
On the Oct. 9 SmackDown, Rhodes called out Orton, who was not in the building. Baron Corbin interrupted another callout on the Oct. 16 SmackDown in Sacramento, which led to a singles match. Orton pulled Rhodes out of the ring for an attack, and Corbin lost by disqualification. Rhodes answered by punting Corbin in front of Orton.
During the Oct. 23 confrontation, Orton questioned whether Rhodes would be willing to use that punt on an old Legacy partner. Rhodes demanded a fight on the spot, and Orton turned the offer down. Officials worked to keep the two apart, and Aldis stepped in before either man threw a punch.
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End Of My Cody Rhodes And Randy Orton Rant
Rhodes must win in Riyadh, and the result has to be final. Orton has turned a WrestleMania loss into half a year of ambushes, interference, and stolen opportunities. The Viper cost Rhodes the championship in Minneapolis and a ladder match spot in Denver. The win in Atlanta came off a low blow. A ten count does not care about any of that, and Rhodes needs to keep Orton down until the referee finishes it.
Since June, Rhodes has dropped the title, fallen short at SummerSlam, lost in Atlanta, and missed Money in the Bank. One more loss to Orton turns the American Nightmare into a man who cannot handle his own former mentor. WWE cannot let that be the story. Crown Jewel is the place to stop the slide, and the Last Man Standing rules leave no room for another excuse.
Orton, a 14-time world champion, should not spend the winter chasing the same rival. The rivalry has given everything it can, and dragging it to Survivor Series helps nobody. WWE needs to close the book in Saudi Arabia with a clean, decisive Rhodes victory. Orton stays down, Rhodes walks out of Riyadh, and the feud is over.
