Randy Orton wants retirement match against WWE SmackDown star
Randy Orton is one of WWE's most prominent superstars, who is currently chasing to capture his 15th World Championship. The Viper recently spoke to long-time friend Cody Rhodes about how he would like his legendary wrestling career to end.
Orton was Rhodes' on-screen and off-screen mentor during their days in the Legacy faction between 2008 and 2010. In recent weeks, the two men have renewed their alliance while feuding with The Bloodline on SmackDown.
On his What Do You Wanna Talk About? show, Rhodes asked Orton which WWE star he would like to face in a retirement match. The 14-time world champion responded by naming The American Nightmare:
"I'm 44," Orton said. "I'd like to wrestle at least until I'm 50. God, that makes me feel so old, but men have done it before me and tore the house down. It depends who's on top. If you were to ask me that question now and I had to give you an answer, I'd say you. Five years from now, maybe the answer's different but something tells me it won't be." [From 54:40 – 55:21]
Orton and Rhodes have not faced each other since May 26, 2014. On that occasion, Evolution (Batista and Orton) defeated Goldust and Rhodes in a tag team match on RAW.
Randy Orton's WWE retirement plan
Many wrestling legends return to the ring several years after competing in a retirement match. Ric Flair, for example, was 73 when he wrestled in 2022, 14 years after Shawn Michaels retired him at WrestleMania 24.
Unlike many veteran wrestlers, Randy Orton wants to stay retired once he decides his in-ring career is over. He also believes John Cena will stick to his word and never wrestle again after his 2025 retirement tour.
"I don't want to retire and have a last match and then leave the company and have another last match and then another one and another one," Orton stated. "Like John, we've talked about Cena quite a bit, I feel like when he says, 'This is my last Royal Rumble, this is my last Elimination Chamber, this is my last WrestleMania,' he means it. If anyone's ever meant that, it's him." [From 53:10 – 53:41]
Orton also revealed how Cena responded when he approached his long-time rival about facing each other again.
Who do you think Randy Orton should face in his final match? Hit the discuss button and let us know.
Please credit What Do You Wanna Talk About? and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Randy Orton's quotes from this article.