WWE WrestleMania 42 Results As Cody Rhodes Booed Loudly, Beats Randy Orton

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Randy Orton has a shot at breaking John Cena's world title record. (Credit: Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images)

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WWE crafted a number of twists and turns to get to WrestleMania 42 and the WWE Championship match between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes.

First, Rhodes dropped the WWE title to Drew McIntyre. Then, Randy Orton won the Elimination Chamber. Then, Rhodes won back the title by defeating McIntyre. Finally, Orton shocked the world with a jaw-dropping heel turn as he targeted his 15th world championship.

For the second straight year, Rhodes entered WrestleMania opposite a bona fide legend who recently turned heel as he headed to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas looking to retain the WWE Championship.

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WWE WrestleMania 42 Results for Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton​

Randy Orton appeared to be one step closer to becoming the most decorated world champion in WWE history, but Pat McAfee ruined it for him.

Fresh off an epic heel turn and in the midst of a renewed main event push, “The Viper” failed to win his 15th world championship on Saturday by defeating his former protege Cody Rhodes. Instead, Orton’s new buddy McAfee interfered in the match, and Rhodes caught a distracted Orton with a Cross Rhodes to retain his WWE Championship.

Here are the key highlights and takeaways from Rhodes’ unexpected win over Orton at WrestleMania 42:

• Right before the bell rang, Pat McAfee attacked Rhodes with the microphone, but Rhodes fought back and hit McAfee with a Cross Rhodes. After Rhodes laid out McAfee on the announce table, Jelly Roll appeared ringside and hit a massive splash on McAfee through the table, much to the delight of the crowd.
• Medical personnel showed up and stretchered out McAfee as Orton checked on him. The crowd chanted, “You deserve it!” As McAfee was carted out, he held up his thumb to the crowd, which booed that loudly. Finally, the bell rang, and the match started.
• Orton and Rhodes locked up and exchanged some holds. Eventually, Orton ducked a clothesline and hit Orton with a right hand followed by a power slam. Rhodes went for the Cody Cutter, but Orton caught him and hit a backbreaker. Orton noticeably sold his back as announcer Michael Cole mentioned rumors regarding Orton’s back injury.
• Orton rolled to the outside and continued to hold his back. Back inside, Rhodes targeted the back and applied a half Boston crab. Rhodes repeatedly targeted Orton’s back for a few minutes and locked in a waistlock. Orton kicked out of a roll-up attempt.
• Eventually, Orton got Rhodes up to the top rope and hit a massive superplex, which seemed to do more damage to Orton himself than to Rhodes. Orton mounted a comeback with two clotheslines and his patented power slam. Orton hit his vintage draping DDT and pounded the mat in anticipation of an RKO attempt. Rhodes blocked it and sent Orton to the outside.
• Rhodes went for a dive, and Orton blocked it with a big punch. Orton dropped Rhodes with a side suplex onto the announce table. Orton crawled into the ring and was a bloody mess after being rammed face first into the steel ring post. Rhodes began targeting the gash on Orton’s forehead.
• As Rhodes beat down Orton, the crowd noticeably booed Rhodes loudly. Rhodes hit a Disaster Kick and got a two-count, then attempted a draping DDT a la Orton. He nailed it as the crowd booed again. Rhodes slammed the mat and mocked Orton’s RKO tease. Rhodes charged Orton and missed, Orton caught him and hit the Cross Rhodes as the crowd erupted, but got just two.
• Orton went for the RKO, Rhodes caught him in a backslide and then Rhodes hit an RKO as the crowd erupted again. But Orton kicked out of his own finisher. More chants of “Randy! Randy!” from the crowd. Back on the outside, Rhodes slammed Orton onto the announce table.
• Rhodes teased a Cross Rhodes again as the crowd booed, but Orton countered with an RKO out of nowhere. Rhodes shockingly kicked out for a very close nearfall. As the two stars exchanged punches, Orton received “yay” chants while Rhodes was booed.
• Rhodes poked Orton in the eye, and a blinded Orton accidentally hit the referee with an RKO. As Rhodes checked in on the ref, Orton attempted a low blow, but Rhodes blocked it. Then, Rhodes hit a low blow of his own. Rhodes then went for a Cody Cutter, but Orton reversed it into a picturesque RKO.
• McAfee sprinted down to the ring while wearing a neck brace and referee shirt and counted the pin, but Rhodes kicked out just before three. Orton shockingly hit McAfee with an RKO out of nowhere, and then Rhodes responded with a Cross Rhodes. That was enough for the 1-2-3 and the win.
• After the match, Orton demolished Rhodes with the WWE Championship and his patented punt kick.

WWE WrestleMania 42 Results: What’s Next for Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes?​

In the months leading up WrestleMania 42, fan resistance to Rhodes’ massive push continued to grow at a steady but rapid pace. That was evidened by the YouTube video of his title win over McIntyre generating more than 100,000 dislikes.

While Rhodes remains arguably WWE’s most popular star among the majority of its fans, there is going to be resentment toward any top star who dominates the main event scene for so long. After headlining four consecutive WrestleManias and winning three world titles, Rhodes has reached that point and could be due for a much needed break from TV, a heel turn or a major character change.

Rhodes recently indicated that he’s going to announce his next film project soon, so the timing could line up just right. Although Rhodes retained the WWE title in controversial fashion at WrestleMania 42, he was on the wrong end of a belt shot and a punt kick after the match.

That could conceivably shelve Rhodes for the foreseeable future and allow WWE to figure out how to book the polarizing star moving forward.

Orton’s heel turn would have all been for naught had he done so just to put over Rhodes cleanly at WWE WrestleMania 42. The growing fan resentment toward Rhodes would only continue to bloom if Rhodes keeps winning the big matches, especially when the storyline calls for him to lose.

So, WWE tried to find a happy medium at WrestleMania 42: Rhodes retaining in controversial fashion. That may backfire, though.

Rhodes famously “finished his story” at WrestleMania 40 when he beat Roman Reigns after failing to do so at WrestleMania 39. Since then, it’s as if WWE has tried to recapture that moment and keep Rhodes’ momentum going. That explains why Rhodes has been on the wrong side of so many heel turns, including ones from Orton, Kevin Owens and John Cena.

But that trend has become a crutch for the booking of Rhodes and really hasn’t done him any favors in terms of winning over the fans who think he’s Super Cena 2.0. The best thing WWE can do for Rhodes, other than giving him an extended TV break, is reinvigorate his character, which was booed loudly in Las Vegas.

That is easier said than done, given WWE’s recent booking struggles, but it’s certainly possible. While it remains unclear if and when Rhodes will be absent from WWE TV in order to film an outside project, that might be the best thing for him even though he remains WWE Champion.

Orton is so red hot as a performer that he should carry WWE, in particular SmackDown, into the summer. While “The Viper” may not be WWE Champion just yet, his tainted loss at WrestleMania 42 suggests his time could still come.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

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