Cody Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship after defeating Randy Orton in the WrestleMania 42 Saturday main event, capping one of WWE’s biggest rivalry matches of the year. WWE listed Rhodes as the winner in the championship bout, while ESPN’s event coverage also reported that he beat Orton to keep the title.
The match carried added weight because Orton was presented as Rhodes’ former friend and mentor. WWE framed the contest around that personal history, which gave the title fight a sharper emotional edge than a routine championship defence.
Rhodes entered the contest as champion and left with the belt, but the story did not end with the final bell. WWE’s post-match coverage said Orton attacked Rhodes after the loss, punctuating the end of the show with a violent statement and suggesting the feud may continue beyond WrestleMania. ESPN’s post-event analysis also noted that the closing image focused on Orton standing over Rhodes despite Rhodes officially winning the match.
The result strengthens Rhodes’ position at the top of WWE’s men’s division at a time when the company continues to build major premium live events around long-running personal rivalries. For Orton, the defeat keeps him short of another world title run, but the post-match attack may yet keep him in the championship picture.
WrestleMania 42 Saturday also featured other major developments across the card, including title changes elsewhere on the show, but Rhodes’ victory over Orton stood as the headline result of the night-one main event.
