Cody Rhodes has spent much of his WWE rise defining himself through perseverance, composure, and a refusal to abandon the principles that made fans rally behind him. But after choosing mercy against Randy Orton at WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event and watching that decision contribute to a loss, the question surrounding Rhodes has changed. It is no longer simply whether he can beat Orton. It is whether he can continue absorbing betrayal and violence without finally becoming someone far more dangerous.
WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray believes that is exactly where the current story should go. Speaking on Busted Open Radio ahead of the latest episode of WWE SmackDown, Bully Ray argued that Rhodes needs to respond to his former mentor with an escalation so extreme that even viewers who believe Orton deserves payback would be unsettled by it.
“Cody Rhodes should go so off the deep end that [General Manager] Nick Aldis is forced to do something about it,” Bully Ray said on Busted Open Radio.
The core of Bully Ray’s pitch is not merely for Rhodes to attack Orton after a match or deliver a standard babyface retaliation. Those actions would be expected, particularly after the way Orton has targeted Rhodes throughout their rivalry. Instead, Bully Ray wants WWE to depict a man whose anger has overwhelmed his judgment and whose response goes beyond what even the most sympathetic fans can comfortably endorse.
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“The creative or one of the big brains involved in the story, whether it’s Cody or whoever, need to come up with something that has not been done before, something that shows that this guy has snapped, if they’re going to go in that direction,” Bully Ray said. “Something that is so bad that despite the fact that everybody in the world knows that Randy Orton deserves a receipt, that people even say, ‘No, Cody, this is even too much,’ and then go farther than that.”
The Cost of Mercy at Sunday Night’s Main Event
The immediate catalyst for that discussion was Rhodes’ defeat to Orton at Sunday Night’s Main Event. Rhodes had an opportunity to strike back at his bitter rival but instead showed restraint. That mercy did not produce a moral victory or bring resolution to their conflict. It ultimately left Rhodes vulnerable, and Orton took advantage on his way to winning the match.
That finish gives WWE a clear story foundation on SmackDown. Rhodes’ virtues have often been presented as strengths, but the Orton match offered a reminder that they can also create an opening for opponents willing to exploit them. For a character as driven by legacy and responsibility as Rhodes, losing because he hesitated against a man who has repeatedly crossed the line could be the kind of moment that causes a fundamental shift.
It also makes the rivalry more balanced than it was after WrestleMania 42. Rhodes defeated Orton at that event, but the victory came with a significant physical price. Orton delivered a punt to Rhodes’ head, and Rhodes left with a severe eye wound. The visual damage underscored the calculated cruelty that Orton has brought into the feud, even when Rhodes was able to secure the result.
After Sunday Night’s Main Event, the 2026 series between Rhodes and Orton stands at one victory each. That even record matters because it prevents either man from claiming definitive superiority. Rhodes has beaten Orton on the grand WrestleMania stage, while Orton now has a win that was aided by Rhodes’ choice to hold back. The issue is no longer a straightforward matter of revenge. It is about whether Rhodes’ identity can survive the conflict intact.
Bully Ray’s Call for an Uncomfortable Reaction
Bully Ray’s proposed direction is intentionally provocative. He did not suggest that Rhodes should simply become more aggressive in the ring, use a weapon once, or deliver an emotional promo promising consequences. The goal, as he framed it, would be to create a reaction in which the audience recognizes Orton’s culpability but still feels compelled to tell Rhodes that he has crossed a boundary.
That distinction is important in wrestling storytelling. A revenge attack usually reinforces audience support for the hero. If the villain has repeatedly injured, insulted, or manipulated the hero, fans commonly embrace the retaliation. Bully Ray is suggesting that WWE aim for something more complicated: a moment in which Rhodes’ pain makes his actions understandable, but not entirely acceptable.
Such an angle would place SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis in a meaningful role. If Rhodes acts in a way that forces Aldis to intervene, WWE could present the situation as larger than a standard grudge match. Aldis would not be deciding whether Orton deserved punishment; the issue would be whether Rhodes had become impossible to manage, even with Orton’s conduct taken into account.
That type of conflict could also test the relationship between Rhodes and the WWE audience. Rhodes has long been one of the company’s most identifiable heroic figures, and the audience knows the history between him and Orton. But a character does not need to turn villainous for a story to explore rage, regret, and consequences. Rhodes could remain sympathetic while discovering that his desire to make Orton suffer is pulling him away from the version of himself he wants to be.
An Extreme Example From Bully Ray’s Past
To explain the level of excess he had in mind, Bully Ray pointed to an infamous moment from his history with D-Von Dudley and Tommy Dreamer. Bully Ray recalled a segment in which he and D-Von delivered a 3D to Beulah McGillicutty, Dreamer’s future wife, while Dreamer was forced to watch helplessly.
The example was not a literal prescription for how WWE should book Rhodes and Orton. Rather, it illustrated Bully Ray’s larger creative point: when a story calls for a character to lose control, the action needs to communicate genuine escalation. It must feel distinct from the familiar cycle of post-match attacks and retaliatory brawls that viewers have seen countless times.
“Go too far. Do something! Show me how enraged you are,” Bully Ray said. “Show me that you’re not just going to sit there and take it like a good little babyface.”
For Rhodes, that challenge cuts directly into the emotional heart of the Orton program. Orton is not just another opponent. He is Rhodes’ former mentor, a connection that makes every betrayal more personal. Orton’s attacks have already left Rhodes injured, and Sunday Night’s Main Event added another layer of frustration by showing that compassion can be used against him.
If Rhodes answers that with the same measured confidence he has displayed before, he may preserve his moral high ground. However, that approach risks making the Sunday Night’s Main Event loss feel like another temporary setback rather than a transformative moment. Bully Ray’s argument is that Rhodes needs to visibly change the temperature of the feud.
What SmackDown Can Establish Next
SmackDown now has the opportunity to determine what Rhodes’ defeat actually means. A direct challenge for another match with Orton would keep the rivalry moving, but it would not necessarily address the emotional damage caused by Rhodes’ decision to show mercy. The more compelling question is how Rhodes processes the realization that restraint may have cost him against the man who knows him best.
WWE can tell that story without immediately abandoning Rhodes’ established character. A brief loss of control, an obsession with making Orton answer for every attack, or a confrontation that pushes Aldis to impose consequences could all show that Rhodes is struggling with an anger he cannot easily contain. The key would be making the reaction feel earned by the events already established in the feud.
Orton, meanwhile, is an ideal opponent for that direction. He has built much of his career around calculated cruelty and psychological warfare. If Rhodes begins to unravel, Orton can credibly claim that he has exposed something beneath the polished image of The American Nightmare. That would give Orton another weapon in the rivalry while allowing Rhodes to fight not only for a victory, but for control over himself.
With their 2026 record even at one win apiece, Rhodes and Orton have arrived at a natural turning point. WrestleMania 42 showed that Rhodes could survive Orton’s brutality and still win. Sunday Night’s Main Event showed that his mercy can carry a price. The next chapter on SmackDown may reveal whether Rhodes responds by holding tighter to his principles or by following Bully Ray’s call and becoming so enraged that even those rooting for him start to worry about what comes next.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.