Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton — WWE singles head-to-head reviewed
A head-to-head review published on November 5, 2026, examines the WWE singles rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton and the outcomes of their televised and pay-per-view meetings.
The two performers have been linked for nearly two decades, initially as members of The Legacy and later as allies against The Bloodline; Randy Orton served as a mentor to the younger Cody Rhodes when Rhodes joined The Legacy in 2008 alongside Orton and Ted DiBiase Jr. Rhodes departed the promotion in 2016 and returned in 2022, reuniting with Orton before their relationship fractured in 2026 when Orton attacked his protégé. Both men have recorded pay-per-view wins and, as the review notes, have "caught up with their mentors."
Orton dominated the early phase of the rivalry, prevailing in most encounters from 2007 through 2013. Their first singles meeting occurred on the July 16, 2007, edition of Raw, with Randy Orton defeating Cody Rhodes, and that outcome was repeated the following week.
Rhodes registered his first singles victory over Orton on the February 8, 2010, edition of Raw. The two then traded wins across 2010 and 2011 as their feud continued on television and in special events.
Specific results in that period included an Orton victory on the October 1, 2010, SmackDown broadcast and another Orton win on the September 6, 2011, show. Rhodes answered with wins on the Raw match on September 12 and the SmackDown match on September 20, before Orton returned to form with victories at Vengeance 2011 and in a Street Fight on SmackDown on November 1.
The rivalry went quiet after Rhodes left in 2016 and resumed several years later. Rhodes defeated Orton to win the 2025 King of the Ring at the Night of Champions event and followed that with a victory at WrestleMania 42 on April 18, 2026, where he retained the Undisputed Championship. Orton later defeated Rhodes with an RKO on the Sunday Night’s Main Event held on September 6.
Their meetings in singles competition total 14 encounters, including a tournament final and championship matches, and Randy Orton leads Cody Rhodes 9-5 in the overall singles head-to-head record.