WWE Vengeance 2011: Cody Rhodes Proves He Can Stand Toe to Toe with Randy Orton

Cody Rhodes blossomed from an inexperienced kid that was awkward at best in the ring into one of the best superstars in the WWE today.

Not only is he one of the best, I'd rather watch him in a match than Randy Orton.

While Randy Orton is a solid worker, he has been spoon-fed his success so far in his career and that rubs people the wrong way.

People will try to say the same thing about Cody Rhodes because his dad is Dusty Rhodes, but Cody had to shake the stigma of Gold Dust from people’s minds.

Orton was given an easy run to the top and that’s where he has been ever since, but if anyone deserves to be toe to toe with Orton, it's Rhodes.

Their match at Vengeance was not the first battle between the two, but this match was far and above their best against each other.

The match also showed me that while we knew what Orton would bring, it proves that Rhodes has the ability and talent to step up his game on the biggest of stages.

WWE management loves pushing family members of past greats, and the legacy respect is very real. While Cody has made his own way, he will still benefit from the same bias that Orton received as well.

It’s important that Rhodes keeps trying to get better so that he can become a World champion, but his match against Orton shows that he has already taken huge steps forward as a performer.

Watch for a Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes feud for the World title within the year, and expect that feud to carry on for generations.

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