Cody Rhodes Admits He Still Has Love for Randy Orton Despite Brutal Betrayal Ahead of WrestleMania 42

Cody Rhodes isn’t pretending his rivalry with Randy Orton is built on pure hatred. In fact, the Undisputed WWE Champion says the situation is far more complicated, especially with WrestleMania 42 getting closer.

While speaking during a conversation on Busted Open Radio, Rhodes was asked directly whether he still had love for Orton despite everything that has unfolded between them. The question came as their feud has turned deeply personal, with Orton’s actions leaving lasting physical and emotional scars.

Rhodes explained that the situation isn’t as simple as treating Orton like a stranger or an enemy with no history. Their connection runs deeper than that, shaped by years of mentorship, shared locker rooms, and lessons learned inside the ring.

“That's a great question. Um I wouldn't feel how I feel. This isn't a guy coming up to you on the street kicking you in the nuts, splitting you open, and leaving you for dead. This isn't that it's not a stranger. So, I don't know how else to answer that. But how else could I like— how could I not?”

Rhodes continued by laying out exactly why his feelings toward Orton remain complicated, pointing to the reality that many of the tools he plans to use at WrestleMania were learned directly from the man he now has to defeat.

“And here's why. What it's going to take to beat Randy Orton at WrestleMania is things that Randy Orton taught me. So how can you not love that? Maybe I don't like him one bit. Maybe I never want to have another encounter or share a locker room or ride down the road with each other ever again, but I definitely have a place in my heart for the things he did for me and for preparing me for this stage.”

Rhodes also admitted that the situation feels almost like a classic mentor-versus-student story unfolding in real time. While he may not have realized it at the time, he now sees how Orton helped prepare him for this exact moment.

“Did I know he was preparing me for him? No. But I mean all student teachers and you know that that's that tends to be how it goes. And this is following that same path.”

With the biggest stage of the year getting closer, it’s clear that this match isn’t just about winning a title or settling a score. It’s about proving growth, closing a chapter, and showing that the student has truly become the master.

Do you think Cody Rhodes still having respect and love for Randy Orton makes their WrestleMania 42 match more personal, or does it make the rivalry harder for him to finish once and for all? Share your thoughts and join the conversation below.

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