WWE Vengeance 2011 Results: Randy Orton Beats Cody Rhodes and What It Means

Randy Orton defeated Cody Rhodes at Vengeance in a very good match that showed both men off very well. The match had everything you could have asked for. Rhodes was able to get off a lot of offense, while Orton was able to do just enough to win.

We saw aerial moves, near falls from finishers and signatures, and even Rhodes' baggers getting involved. In the end, Orton rolls on with a victory over the former mentor and current Intercontinental Champion.

Despite losing, Orton actually did some good for Rhodes. Rhodes is a young heel with a mid-card championship and didn't need this win, which is still considered an upset, in order to move up at all. Would Rhodes really gain anything from being in a title picture with Mark Henry, Big Show, Christian, Orton and Sheamus all within striking distance?

Rhodes is going to stay in and dominate the mid-card on Smackdown, so a loss here doesn't hurt Rhodes entirely.

A loss at Vengeance would have hurt Orton, but the victory lifts Orton back up to his normal self. Orton has lost to Henry multiple times in the past few months and, outside of a victory in a 41-man battle royal, hasn't done much. This was much more of a must-win for Orton than anything else.

Regardless, Orton did the next best thing for Rhodes by making Rhodes a bona fide veteran worker. Rhodes knows how to get someone over and how to sell a move. Rhodes is actually a veteran, believe it or not, and his metamorphosis to a main event wrestler is all but complete.

So what happens next? Well, for Orton, it might be a title bout at Survivor Series with a no-contest in the World Heavyweight Championship match and Sheamus having two-straight pay-per-view wins over Christian.

It could be Henry, Orton, Big Show, Sheamus and Christian in a Championship Scramble match at Survivor Series, especially considering that the match type has been heavily rumored for the event.

As for Cody Rhodes, he is still Intercontinental Champion. There aren't many who can hang in his neighborhood, let alone challenge for his championship. Rhodes is bringing prestige back to this championship and that will continue into Survivor Series.

Expect a title match between now and Survivor Series before Rhodes pops up in a five-on-five match. This also might not be all we have heard from Orton and Cody. This could even be a potential WrestleMania main event in the future.