Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes clash in SmackDown segment

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Keep It Real "I never changed" 😯@RandyOrton believes there is only one man in the locker room who has not let evolution change his legacy…HIM! pic.twitter.com/PHToZYXlO8 — WWE (@WWE) September 26, 2026 There’s an old saying in Hip Hop that has different meanings to different people, but it was the mission statement for at least a decade: keep it real. Every artist defined “real” for themselves. At its core, it always came back to being true to yourself. There were even Sprite commercials dedicated to that notion that featured rappers. I really do miss the 1990s. Anyway, I thought about that listening to Randy Orton on this edition of SmackDown. Randy, shocking no one, had a lot on his mind after hearing what Cody said when he thought the cameras cut off last week. Randy’s words cut through Cody’s veneer because despite what Cody says, he really has changed. Randy walked us through the evolution from “Dusty’s kid” to now. The one constant in Cody’s career is, no pun intended, evolution. And if Cody doesn’t kick Randy in his head if given the chance, then he’s “peaked.” No more evolution, no more growth. That’s an interesting angle to take for this. The story is now set up as a challenge for Cody. But not one to see if he can resist being “compromised” but rather if he realizes what must be done to defeat someone like Randy. Specifically, is he willing to get his hands just a bit dirty if it gets him to his ultimate goal. It didn’t come off as the typical “bad guy goads the good guy” thing either because Randy truly believes Cody is a good guy. He believes even if Cody knocks his lights out, he’s still a good guy. This isn’t about good or bad for The Viper, yet it feels like that at times for Cody. They pulled Michael Cole into this as the person who knows Cody best, therefore he understands what he is and isn’t capable of doing. As he sees it, Cody doesn’t have it in him to do to Randy what Randy would do to him and anyone else in his way. Normally, I’d say that’s an admirable trait. With Cody though, it always feels like he wants to have an edge but pulls back at the last minute. It never feels like who he is but rather who he wants to be. He wants to be this white meat babyface despite calling himself a nightmare. He wants to talk about being a good role model despite dropping the F-bomb so freely. He wants to be the guy who does everything the right way even though he’s definitely crossed a few lines to get ahead in the ring. The segment wouldn’t work without Randy being on fire either. His conviction always sets him apart from everyone else, especially in moments like this. I believed every single word he said, including when he talked about him being the one non-compromised person in the locker room. He’s always been Randy and never shied away from any of it. "I am going to kick your head off your shoulders" 👏@CodyRhodes with a DEFIANT statement to Randy Orton! pic.twitter.com/G8UjAQHkRC — WWE (@WWE) September 26, 2026 He’s always kept it real. To his point, Cody’s always compromised himself to fit the circumstance. That’s what makes it easier to believe Randy or Michael over the American Nightmare when they say he doesn’t have it in him despite him saying the opposite. We’ll find out soon enough just how real Cody is. B-Sides I am unexpectedly excited for Street Fighter. So I’m a hypocrite in that I have no problem with the movie’s logo sitting in the middle of the ring. Trick Williams can finally move on to bigger and better things. That sounds like a Baron Corbin diss, and well, it kinda is. But it’s more so about him moving on to an opponent with a higher ceiling and who can actually elevate him. I mildly enjoyed their cage match, despite not being very interested in the feud. I’m always a fan of Trick getting violent because it’s a very different side of his character. The most notable aspect was the crowd. Indianapolis loved Trick. They hung on every moment of the match and I gotta assume that’s because of him. I don’t know if he’s quite ready for the big belt as it relates to his in-ring work, but the crowd response is there. He’s gotta clean up some things, like those Book Ends. Trick hit Baron with the move not once, not twice, but thrice. And each one looked less impressive than the other. Once Trick smooths it out in the ring, whew, he’ll be a real problem. Keeping it in the family, Lash Legend is going to New Orleans. She pinned Giulia for a spot in the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. This was a bit of a sloppy affair as it never really found a flow. And, once again, we got the finish where the victor snuck in at the last minute to “steal” the victory by pinning the person who just hit their finisher. It’s actually the same strategy I used in WWF No Mercy for years, so I respect it. But as I said on Monday, that well is bound to dry up going to it this many times. Nikki Bella refuses to go away. Earlier, she got in Chelsea Green’s face because she wants that title. Of course that meant she’d show up during the six-woman tag. Fatal Influence remains undefeated as a trio due in large part to Nikki tripping Paige during the match, which left her wide open for the Rolling Encore. And I mean wide open. I need the Chelsea who showed up against GUNTHER to show up against Nikki. It’s weird a woman who stood toe-to-toe with that guy needs a support system of two other women and is almost hiding behind them. This also doesn’t feel like the best use for Nikki. The mean girl schtick feels a tad forced. And, again, because she’s playing that role, three women have to almost cower to one. It’s as if she’s Deebo and they’re all Craig and Smokey. The main event rocked. Now, the caveat is we got the same finish where someone stole a victory from someone else. The context is why it worked for me here rather than making me roll my eyes. Finn Balor is always so close. The guy is the quintessential “bridesmaid never a bride” cliche come to life. He’s made it his mission for over a year now to capture a world title and finish what he started many moons ago when his Universal Championship reign lasted all of one day. Dealing with CM Punk and GUNTHER to get back to the promised land isn’t exactly a cakewalk, but Finn came to play. The amount of back and forth in this match was dizzying. It wasn’t just counters either; this was a fast-paced brawl that often saw Finn and Punk working together only to snap out of it and start beating up each other. The pace led to multiple near falls and pin breakups as all three looked to isolate for one-on-one moments that might last long enough to earn a spot in the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Finn hit the coup de grace on Punk once only for GUNTHER to break up the surefire three-count. Later on, it was GUNTHER’S turn to catch Finn’s finishing move. However, GUNTHER was in the middle of applying a Sleeper to Punk. Finn crashed down feet first on GUNTHER’s back. The momentum carried Finn across the ring and gave Punk an opening to simply roll over on top of The Ring General for the win. It crushed me watching Finn crawl in vain to stop the three-count. Once again, he came so close to achieving his goal. He did everything right. In the end, all he did was help Punk win. That sucks and I really hope they follow-up with this . Sami Zayn is feeling the pressure. He’s got multiple people coming for him and even his allies want a piece of the action. Johnny Gargano deserves a title shot. It’s not just me saying it; Sami said it too! Of course he did. And of course he took it to Nick Aldis who disagreed. So of course Nick put Johnny and Candice LeRae in Money in the Bank Ladder Match qualifiers next week. How long does that truly keep Johnny at bay? Solid SmackDown. Randy Orton was on fire, the main event rocked my world, and the other matches/drama did what it needed to do. But don’t just go with my word on the subject; what did you think? I don’t grade weekly shows but that doesn’t mean you can’t! Let us know your grade for this episode, along with any other comments. Preferably Street Figher related.