WWE Vengeance 2011: Randy Orton's Lackluster Performance Destroyed Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes’ moment in the spotlight did not go as well as expected. He had a high-profile match with Randy Orton at Vengeance, and it was supposed to elevate him to the next level.

Instead, he came out of it looking worse than before. He is getting blamed for it, but Orton should not be let off the hook scot-free.

Unless you are someone like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Chris Jericho or Daniel Bryan, you need two guys to put together a great match.

Orton has never been a great worker because he only knows how to work one style: Slow and methodical. It served him well when he was the top heel on the roster, but now that he is a babyface it does not seem to be working.

Rhodes is still a work-in progress in the ring, but he is showing significant progress in his development. Yes, his lineage played a role in his push—he is the son of Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes—but he has been one of the best all-around performers on SmackDown recently.

WWE showed a lot of faith in him by giving him a match with Orton on pay-per-view. It did not get over at the level that it could, or should, have for a variety of reasons—but that is no reason to give up on Rhodes.

In fact, it is all the more reason to blame Orton. He knew that he would have to help sell the match, and he did not do it. Some workers are able to get anything over, and others are better at working on getting themselves over.

Orton definitely falls into the latter category, and it showed on Sunday night.

We know that Orton is the golden child of SmackDown and nothing will ever ruin his position with the company, but he failed at Vengeance and deserves to be blamed for it. 

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