Orton used deeply personal insults to test Rhodes before their Sunday showdown.
Summary
– Randy Orton accused Cody Rhodes of caring more about the WWE Championship than his family
– Orton insulted Rhodes’ mother, wife, and dog while trying to provoke a physical response
– Rhodes refused to break the stipulation but warned Orton that he would be in trouble Sunday
Randy Orton interrupted Cody Rhodes during a backstage interview on WWE SmackDown and made their upcoming match even more personal.
Corey Graves was asking Rhodes how his longtime friendship with Orton had fallen apart when The Viper entered the conversation. Orton immediately reminded Rhodes that a stipulation prevented him from becoming physical before their match on Sunday.
Orton then repeated the insulting comments he previously made about Rhodes’ mother. He questioned why Rhodes had refused to defend herself and challenged him to throw the first punch.
Rhodes remained calm as Orton continued attacking his family. Orton also brought up Rhodes’ wife and made a cruel remark about his aging dog while trying to force him into breaking the rules.
When Rhodes refused to react physically, Orton claimed he understood the reason. He accused Rhodes of loving the Undisputed WWE Championship more than his own family.
Orton described Rhodes as addicted to the championship and suggested that his obsession made him more disturbed than The Viper. The comments were designed to attack Rhodes personally while leaving him unable to respond with his fists.
Rhodes admitted that Orton might be right about his obsession. He then warned his former friend that the same mindset would leave Orton in serious trouble when they meet on Sunday.
The exchange showed that Rhodes is willing to absorb personal attacks to protect his championship opportunity. Once the restriction is removed, Orton may have to answer for every insult he delivered.
