Steve Carrier on April 26, 2026
Confusion surrounding Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton at WrestleMania wasn’t just limited to fans watching at home — even people inside WWE struggled to explain what the story was supposed to be.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Garrett Gonzales brought up the match because he felt lost trying to understand what WWE was trying to tell with the story. The way the match played out — especially the finish and aftermath — left him questioning the direction. After hearing that concern, Dave Meltzer admitted he shared the same confusion and had already tried to get answers from WWE contacts.
“Yeah, yeah. I, we'll talk about the Cody and Randy thing because that's the thing I wanted to ask you about because I was so confused about what that match was supposed to be telling narratively.”
Meltzer then explained that he reached out to people inside WWE to better understand the plan behind the match, but never got a solid explanation.
“I, I, I was too and I have in fact been in contact with people there and no one has given me… I go like, this is the problem I have with it. And, and no one, you know, I'm just confused. And like, I don't have, I don't have a great answer for you.”
He went on to say that while the in-ring portion of the match itself felt strong, the ending — including the post-match punt — completely changed how he viewed the situation.
“I mean, it's funny because like, if I look at it as a wrestling match, as the match is going on… I'm thinking it's a really good match… it was good. And then like the way it ended and then the post match with punt and everything, I was just like, I am just completely confused and it just felt like nothing.”
He also noted that many fans ranked the match among the worst on the WrestleMania card, not because of the action itself, but because the storytelling left people unsure what they had just watched.
“A lot of people voted it worst match on the show… and I even understand why because it's like… if you're into the storytelling, it's just like a total confusion.”
Even days later, Meltzer said he still couldn’t make sense of what WWE was trying to accomplish, especially with how both characters shifted roles throughout the match and aftermath.
“To this day, still confused as to what they were trying to accomplish… it's like they were both heels, they were both baby faces… just depending on the moment.”
He also pointed to the finish itself as creating more questions than answers. Cody Rhodes picked up a clean win, but Orton’s attack immediately afterward suggested unfinished business.
“When Cody beat him clean, I was thinking that okay, it's over. But then Randy punts him. So I presume we're getting a rematch… Randy's back as a baby face like three weeks after… Did he just turn back after three weeks?”
He compared the situation to past wrestling storylines that struggled to convince audiences, suggesting that fan reactions may ultimately determine how the story moves forward.
“That's even worse than Cena in some ways last year… like when WCW tried to turn Sting heel… nobody was buying it and they just had to turn them back because the people decided those people aren't going to be heels.”
Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton was positioned as a major WrestleMania moment, but the fallout clearly left many viewers trying to figure out what direction WWE intended to take. With Orton’s post-match actions hinting at unfinished business, the situation may still be building toward something bigger — but the early reaction shows that plenty of fans walked away unsure what the long-term goal actually was.
What did you think about Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton at WrestleMania — did the story make sense to you, or did it leave you confused? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know what you think WWE was trying to accomplish.
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