WWE Needs to Book Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton, Not Cody and The Bloodline.

WWE is trying incredibly hard to make Solo Sikoa and his new Bloodline faction ready for the SummerSlam main event. They should be looking to book Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton instead.

Even the energetic debut of a top independent prospect and Anoai family member, Jacob Fatu, can't change the eventual direction of the feud. His joining the Smackdown roster might highlight the issue. Solo isn't ready to beat Cody, and everyone knows that. He has a lot to learn and is getting better each week. That progress, though, is going very slowly. Randy Orton, though, is a credible challenger with a history that WWE can use to make SummerSlam a must-see main event. There are a ton of reasons why the safest option for WWE is to finally give fans the dream match that they have been clamoring for since last November and let Cody take on his old mentor.

SummerSlam needs more proven main event matches

The new era in WWE can be described by more straightforward storytelling, fresh faces, and innovative ideas both in front of and behind the camera. This shift is commendable, but the overreliance on nostalgia has left younger fans feeling fatigued as the same veterans continue to occupy top spots, even as their abilities wane. However, experience and recognition do hold value, so finding a balance between the established and the emerging is a challenge that's often underestimated, particularly when a beloved young star is held off yet another premium live event. Right now, though, the SummerSlam card has many untested names in high-profile spots and no signature match type to sell. That, too, can make fans uneasy.

The main event could be the Gunther and Damian Priest title clash. Elsewhere on the card, LA Knight will either win or defend his first title against the local talent and part-time internet influencer Logan Paul. Bron Breakker will be entering only his second PLE, and the repackaged Bo Dallas and his Wyatt Sicks will almost surely get their first real match, a tough hurdle for a character like Uncle Howdy. Giving Solo Sikoa a match with Cody and another one of those spots means another match that may not meet the moment of such a grand stage. More likely than that, though, it runs the risk of fans not caring. If WWE books Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton in a match instead, they have a safe main event option, taking the pressure off the performers still looking to establish themselves a bit.

WWE is running out of time to book that match where it matters

A match with the star caliber of Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton needs to be on the biggest possible stage. WWE has four or five major events every calendar year, depending on who you ask. One of them happens in the Spring, WrestleMania. One of them occurs in the fall, the Survivor Series event that has become the unofficial home of WarGames for now. The third takes place in the wintertime, The Royal Rumble. The only season with two of these events is summer, with Money in the Bank and SummerSlam. If WWE makes it through July without Orton facing Rhodes, it can only happen again in or around early 2025.

Hyping a Madison Square Garden match or trying to bolster a B-level show in another country is always going to be a tool in WWE's kit. However, this match with Orton is the only thing that their hottest face in years has people talking about, at least until The Rock comes back. Doing it now while WWE has Money in the Bank to build and SummerSlam to pay it off makes a lot more sense than waiting until nearly next year to try it out. Also, time is a factor. When The Rock or Roman comes back, that is going to be the story, pushing Orton out of mind. The 14-time world champion isn't getting any younger and has a lot of wear and tear that has kept him out for an extended period before. WWE shouldn't want to waste this moment when they have no other challengers, and both men are healthy. If they do, it will only mean less for the eventual fight.

It is a dream match to book Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton

Dream matches are, to put it mildly, entirely subjective. Anything can be a dream match if you find the right fan to ask. That subjectivity, though, is why promoters must do the ones that have broad support. If fans can choose any two people, and most pick the same two, that's an easy win. WWE fans have, by and large, done that with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes. With just a single glance at the title, Orton got the rumor mills and the WWE Universe incredibly excited about his eventual turn on Cody Rhodes. With so many fans predicting their matchup to be an iconic one, it makes sense to book Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton now to give everyone the match they are expecting. Solo can wait for a match with Cody afterward; Orton may not be able to.

The story makes sense, and they each know how to wrestle their preferred style of match, given how similar they are. That Randy is a certified legend is just icing on the cake for why he makes for such an attractive challenger. All of these rationales are great, but they pale in comparison to the truth that people just prefer to see them fight right now. Worries about the SummerSlam card or losing momentum are also something that WWE executives have to do. It can be a difficult job, I am sure. However, once in a while, the fans say what they want. In the old era, that didn't matter much. A new era, though, means that WWE can change its policy and just do what makes the people happy.

How can WWE book Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton?

Given the way the landscape of Smackdown looks right now, how could WWE book Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton? Well, they are in the previously mentioned Madison Square Garden. As WWE's most iconic venue, big things tend to happen. The night is being built around a Bloodline acknowledgment segment, which is where the ground-changing event is most likely to occur. Solo looks to declare himself Tribal Chief, but Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, and Randy Orton come out to confront him. As the New Bloodline steps up to protect their leader, Roman Reigns music hits. He steps through the new blood. He looks at Solo and then Rhodes. He turns to his young apprentice and tells Solo, "Acknowledge me." The New Bloodline jumps into action, but Reigns and Rhodes work together to put the Tongans (Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa) through the announce table hurt. Jacob Fatu has dominated Kevin Owens in the ring and comes out to blindside Reigns. He and Solo hit Roman with a spike, and then a chair to the throat before Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes run them off.

Looking like the faces have stood tall, they turn back to Reigns, and that distraction gives Orton a chance to strike Rhodes down. The Money in the Bank three-way team match becomes a tag team match. The two Tongas are recovering, while Kevin and Cody must take on Solo and Jacob without Orton. Roman Reigns and Randy Orton play their part not as active participants but as concepts. They are the two wild card factors. They hate one another and the people in the match in equal measure. What either of them will do is anyone's guess. This sets the night up for a tense showdown in Toronto and an intense build to SummerSlam the following month.