WWE: Could Cody Rhodes Replace Randy Orton as the Face of SmackDown?

Funny how the business works.  One minute you’re up, headlining TV and main-eventing pay-per-views, with the whole world at your feet and fans completely focused on your every move.

The next minute you’re ever so subtly sliding backward, sharing the spotlight with an up-and-comer and dropping the championship to a guy who supposedly had no chance of winning.  

Randy Orton, this is your life.

Now, don’t get me wrong here, I’m not sounding the alarm for Randy.  I for one do not believe that he is being pushed down, killed slowly and headed for a proper burial.  But it does seem that he is quickly heading into a holding pattern, one that may keep him in the semi-main event and perhaps even lower.

On the flip side of the coin is Cody Rhodes, also a second generation Superstar, who is trading in his one-bedroom shack for a deluxe apartment in the sky.  

In other words, these guys are very close to passing each other, and we all have a ringside seat to the meet and greet.

It seems like a lifetime ago since Randy worked his way from the cocky pretty boy in Evolution to the point that he is at now as The Apex Predator of SmackDown.  A lot has happened in that time, and while his ability to achieve main event status and hold onto it was always in question for some fans, there is no arguing with the results.

It’s just hard to imagine WWE without Orton as the No. 2 guy.

For pure wrestling fans, who thrive on the in-ring action, and less on the showmanship, Orton is in no way a No. 2.  He is the top worker, period.

The man usually regarded as the top dog, well, we all know who that is.

The one-two punch of John Cena and Randy Orton have become the very identity of WWE programming for a few years now, and it seemed as though no one would ever be allowed to actually get enough traction to surpass either man.

That was until CM Punk blew up on RAW, and Cody Rhodes came into his own on SmackDown.

Now, the game is changing.

While Punk is fitting in quite nicely on RAW, for me it feels as though SmackDown is not as spacious at the top.  

Mark Henry is Monster Incorporated, a complete weapon of destruction who is the reigning World Heavyweight Champion.  This guy not only beat Orton for the title, he also beat The Viper in the rematch.

Mark is the real deal, and the only other heel who is coming anywhere close to his heat is the tortured soul known as Cody Rhodes.

Cody is, of course, the Intercontinental Champion, and it looks as though WWE is modeling him after the classic IC champs of old in the classic pro wrestling style.

Every time he takes the mic and growls out a long, monotone proclamation of being abused and overlooked, there is immediate reaction from the crowd.  He is absolutely getting over in every conceivable way right now, and the fact that he now has the No. 2 title on the program helps solidify him as a force to be reckoned with in WWE.

So, is it really possible that he will replace Orton as the face of SmackDown?

The easy answer is yes, because in WWE, anything is possible, which is a true statement.  

But the reality is while Randy Orton is still there, and with him having the stroke he has backstage, the fact is, he will always be at or near the top.  There’s also the fact that he is the No. 1 baby face on the program.

Of course, Orton is not your typical face; the guy is basically a villain being passed off as a hero.  He not only breaks the rules whenever the mood strikes him, he viciously attacks his opponents after the match has ended.  

Rhodes was his latest victim, and the fact that Randy was so over the top with the violence this time perhaps suggests that a heel turn is in his future.  If that does happen, he and Cody could switch places in that respect also.  

Can you imagine Cody Rhodes with a smile on his face, getting a huge face pop over a prone Randy Orton while he hoists the World Championship high over his head?

If you say no, then ask yourself this: Could you imagine Cody having the impact that he’s having on the level that he is right now back when he was tagging with Hardcore Holly on Raw?

This guy has come a long way, and he may not have that much longer to go before he is the No. 2 in the company.

Perhaps even No. 1?