Randy Orton Is Perfect 1st Opponent for Champion Cody Rhodes Amid WWE Return Rumors

Should he best Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 and become WWE's unified champion, Cody Rhodes' first feud to kick off his reign will need to be something special.

A history-rich feud with Randy Orton would do the trick.

Even those fans not in tune with the rumor mill could have predicted that the beloved veteran might make his return during WrestleMania season. If not the event itself, perhaps Orton will be one of those Raw-after-Mania surprises in a prominent role.

It sure doesn't hurt to have the rumor mill reinforcing the idea, though. According to PW Insider Elite (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), WWE will bring Orton in for the weekend in some capacity.

That doesn't mean an in-ring return just yet. But a promo or simple staredown that sets up a feud with Rhodes might be in everyone's best interest.

Fans haven't seen Orton wrestle in a match since May of last year because of injury when he was still a staple of the tag scene with Riddle. But the character switch-up to be a foil for Rhodes would be a seamless thing for a modern GOAT who has always done well when called upon—and this particular feud might give similar vibes to when Orton was the big foil to a rising Seth Rollins all those years ago.

Except, of course, for the extensive history between Orton and Rhodes.

Rich history and storytelling has played a big part in this GOAT-making epic written by Reigns, Paul Heyman, The Usos and surrounding pieces. One could argue there is even more history between Rhodes and Orton. The latter helped train the former as far back as 2006 before their teaming in the Legacy stable and inevitable feuding long before Rhodes left WWE.

There's a rich nostalgia there for long-time viewers and hours of footage to catch newcomers up to speed. Both men are money on the mic, guaranteeing great promos, and there is plenty of fresh material to run through—be it looping in Triple H for obvious reasons or mentioning Rhodes' non-WWE escapades.

As much as fans might immediately cry for Rhodes to start elevating younger talent, one can feel safe projecting that this won't exactly be a short reign for the new unified champion.

Rhodes can't jump right into a feud with an up-and-comer. As impressive as ending one of the greatest title runs in modern pro wrestling history by taking down Reigns might be, Rhodes' first feud and triumphant defense needs to come against someone established. If handled improperly, Rhodes could almost feel like a company-forced transitional champion.

Keep in mind, too, a feud with Orton doesn't necessarily mean holding both top men's titles hostage. Speculation has been rampant for a long time now that WWE wants to split the titles again, or at least create a new one to balance out the weekly programs and give other main-eventers something to do.

On paper, Rhodes and Orton could easily just feud for one title while the other weekly program gets the other. The function of the split could be awesome for storytelling and in-ring purposes, too. Maybe Rhodes relinquishes one, opting to only keep the title his father never won. The other could then be up for grabs in a tournament. He could be a vehicle for getting WWE's main-event scene back to where it needs to be easily through logical means.

This gives WWE some breathing room, too. In time, Rhodes can take on the obvious next big thing and guy who will possibly dethrone him in Gunther. Maybe that's at SummerSlam, maybe it's a year from now at Mania. But WWE needs to take its time with the builds and get this right, as this sort of proverbial lighting in a bottle created by Reigns' run and Rhodes' return after founding another promotion only happens once.

As for the in-the-moment feud itself, Orton losing might be predictable. But as constantly stressed by this new era of Triple H-led creative in WWE, predictable can be very good if done well.

Rhodes winning it all, then immediately turning around and taking out Orton would be a critical passing-of-the-torch moment and new-era signifier.

Make no mistake, the wishlist of opponents for Rhodes if he actually beats Reigns is lengthy. But right out of the gates, it should be Orton, as nothing else on the list can come close to the electrifying tale they would weave around their history and what it would mean for everyone involved in the long-term.