Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton has been announced as one of the featured matches for the first-ever WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The rivalry reignited at SummerSlam, where Orton returned and dropped Rhodes with an RKO, costing the American Nightmare his Undisputed WWE Championship match against CM Punk. Two weeks later, the Viper jumped Cody before his match with Sami Zayn, sparking a brawl that spilled throughout the arena.
On last week’s SmackDown, Nick Aldis ruled that any physical contact before the event would strip both men of future title opportunities. Orton also put CM Punk on notice, vowing to go after his 15th world championship once he’s done with Cody.
Here are five possible finishes for their match.
5 – Cody Rhodes wins and suffers another post-match attack
Cody defeated Orton in the 2025 King of the Ring final and beat him again in the WrestleMania 42 main event.
Another victory, this time in Atlanta, would complete his payback for SummerSlam. To keep Orton from leaving the night completely diminished, though, the Viper could attack Cody after the pinfall, possibly with another Punt Kick or an RKO through the announce table.
The problem with this scenario is that it repeats WrestleMania, where Rhodes won and was attacked immediately afterward. WWE would need to use the post-match beatdown to build toward a final rematch under a special stipulation.
4 – Double count-out after another brawl through the arena
The match is still listed as a standard singles bout, even though Cody and Orton have already shown they’re unlikely to stay within the rules.
Both could brawl out of the ring, fight into the crowd, and blow off the referee’s count. A double count-out would be a frustrating finish for a show of this magnitude, but it would open the door for a Street Fight, Last Man Standing Match, or No Holds Barred Match at a later premium live event.
This scenario would let WWE extend the feud without saddling Orton with another loss or pulling Cody out of the title picture.
3 – Sami Zayn interferes
Sami Zayn had a major opportunity on the August 14 SmackDown, where the winner of his match against Cody would earn an Undisputed WWE Championship shot. The match never happened because of Orton’s attack.
Last Friday, Zayn confronted Nick Aldis directly and declared he would take matters into his own hands. Later that night, he ran in during CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens and attacked both men with the title.
Zayn could go after Orton for payback, handing the Viper a disqualification win, or take out both men and force a no contest. Either way, it would insert him into a rivalry already tied directly to CM Punk’s championship.
2 – Cody Rhodes loses by disqualification
On the August 7 SmackDown, Cody said he no longer needed to be the good guy. Orton seized on exactly that, taunting him as the Golden Boy and the American Daydream.
During the match, the Viper could keep pushing those buttons until Rhodes snaps completely. Cody might grab a chair or attempt the Punt Kick, ignoring the referee’s warnings and getting himself disqualified.
Orton would walk away as the official winner without actually beating Cody clean, while Rhodes would begin a more aggressive chapter with a heel turn very much on the table.
1 – Randy Orton wins clean
This is the fairest and most logical finish for the current moment. Orton has dropped both major recent bouts against Cody and needs a win to make his pursuit of a 15th world title credible.
A clean RKO in Atlanta would instantly restore the Viper’s momentum and position him as CM Punk’s next top challenger. Cody would remain protected by his previous victories and could still stake a claim to another title opportunity down the road.
In my view, an Orton victory is the strongest call here. It pays off the promise he made to Punk, reinforces the current Legend Killer persona, and gives Punk a high-caliber challenger following his most recent defense against Kevin Owens.