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Cody Rhodes turns Randy Orton's addiction charge around ahead of Sunday Night's Main Event

The "addiction and sickness" framing Orton deployed against Cody Rhodes has come back the other way. Speaking to OutKick Dropkick ahead of Sunday Night's Main Event in Atlanta as part of his Clash of Clans partnership…

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NewsMV Markets Desk
3 min read
6 September 2026Markets desk
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Key takeaways

  • Cody Rhodes reversed Randy Orton's "addiction and sickness" framing, arguing to OutKick Dropkick that the obsession with the Undisputed WWE Championship belongs more to Orton.
  • SmackDown GM Nick Aldis barred Rhodes and Orton from touching each other before their match, with the championship opportunity forfeited by whoever broke the rule.
  • Rhodes said Orton is close to 17 championship reigns, a number near John Cena's all-time record, which explains the urgency behind Orton's words.
  • Rhodes has already beaten Orton at King of the Ring and WrestleMania, making Atlanta's Sunday Night's Main Event Orton's third attempt against his former protege.
  • Rhodes dismissed Orton's "addicted" and "sick" comments as "rage bait" designed to force him into a rule violation.

The "addiction and sickness" framing Orton deployed against Cody Rhodes has come back the other way. Speaking to OutKick Dropkick ahead of Sunday Night's Main Event in Atlanta as part of his Clash of Clans partnership, Rhodes argued the obsession with the Undisputed WWE Championship belongs more to Orton, who is approaching John Cena's all-time record.

SmackDown GM Nick Aldis had posted strict conditions before the match. Neither Rhodes nor Orton could lay hands on each other in the build-up, with both men's championship opportunities on the line for whoever broke it. Orton used that constraint to try to force a violation, telling Rhodes in their last confrontation on Friday Night SmackDown that he was "addicted" and "sick" for putting the title above everything. Rhodes said he saw the play immediately, calling it "rage bait." Swing, and the championship spot disappears.

Rhodes told OutKick Dropkick he has never trusted, and never liked, a wrestler who claimed not to want the championship. The desire to win is the baseline for everyone on the roster. What he reads as different here is the specific pressure he senses coming from Orton's direction.

What Orton is chasing

Rhodes has beaten Orton at King of the Ring and at WrestleMania. Atlanta would be Orton's third attempt at the same event. Rhodes said Orton is close to 17 championship reigns, a number that sits near John Cena's record. That proximity, he argued to OutKick Dropkick, explains the urgency behind Orton's words. Rhodes said Orton deserves his place among the all-time greats of modern WWE and will be remembered that way. He also said Orton will be remembered as the man who lost three times to his own protege at the same event.

What to watch

The result shapes the Undisputed WWE Championship picture as Money in the Bank draws closer. The Atlanta card also carries a six-woman tag pairing Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and Tatum Paxley against Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab, a match between Baron Corbin and Lil Yachty, and Oba Femi against Bron Breakker.

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Filed via foxnews.com

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Frequently asked

Why did Cody Rhodes call Randy Orton's comments "rage bait"?

Rhodes said Orton was trying to provoke him into laying hands on him during the build-up, which would have cost Rhodes his championship opportunity under Nick Aldis's conditions.

What record is Randy Orton approaching?

Rhodes said Orton is close to 17 championship reigns, a number that sits near John Cena's all-time record.

What conditions did Nick Aldis set for the match?

Neither Rhodes nor Orton could lay hands on each other in the build-up, and whoever broke that rule would forfeit their championship opportunity.

What other matches are on the Atlanta card?

The card includes a six-woman tag with Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and Tatum Paxley against Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab, plus Baron Corbin versus Lil Yachty and Oba Femi against Bron Breakker.

How have Rhodes and Orton's previous encounters gone?

Rhodes has beaten Orton at King of the Ring and at WrestleMania, and said Orton will be remembered as the man who lost three times to his own protege at the same event.