REVEALED: Why WWE Turned Randy Orton Heel For WrestleMania 42 Match Against Cody Rhodes
Reason for Randy Orton's heel turn revealed
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Mar 16, 2026
Randy Orton became a heel during the March 13 episode of Friday Night SmackDown as he turned on Cody Rhodes during their contract signing for WrestleMania 42. Orton went on to leave the Undisputed WWE Champion a bloody mess, with the heel turn ending after Orton hit his former Legacy stablemate with a steel chair while Cody was trapped within the steel steps.
The turn made Randy Orton a heel for the first time since 2021, with Orton having operated as a popular babyface on WWE TV since he formed RK-Bro with Matt Riddle.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE decided to turn Orton heel simply because the company didn't want to do a babyface vs. babyface match between Orton and Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42. Despite the heel turn, WWE are still expecting Orton to be cheered at the Showcase of the Immortals.
"It's an interesting one because I still expect Randy Orton to get cheered at WrestleMania. I think everyone's expecting it, including WWE, don't kid yourself. They want Randy to be the heel...they wanted to put some conflict into it and they didn't want to go in there with the babyface vs. babyface. I think they could have done babyface vs. babyface first match and then do something afterwards to keep it going, but it's WrestleMania. They wanted to get there now," Meltzer said.
Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes wasn't the original plan for WrestleMania 42, with Rhodes originally being planned for matches against Roman Reigns and then Drew McIntyre. Those plans ultimately changed, though, and Orton won the Elimination Chamber to earn the Undisputed WWE Title match at WrestleMania, with Cody then regaining the WWE Championship from Drew McIntyre on the post-Elimination Chamber episode of SmackDown.
Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton has been confirmed as the main event of WWE WrestleMania 42 night one on Saturday, April 18.
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