What Happened With Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton After WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event Went Off The Air?

WWE

Here’s what happened with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton following WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event going off the air.

The September 6 special was headlined by a WrestleMania 42 rematch, with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton facing off in singles action.

In the closing moments of the match, Cody Rhodes went to hit a bloody Randy Orton with a Punt Kick of his own, but stopped short following the Viper begging for mercy.

Orton ultimately hit Rhodes with a low blow, allowing him to capitalise with an RKO and score the victory.

The show went off the air with Orton and Rhodes both in the ring, with the Viper cleaning his bloody face with a towel.

Following the duo’s recent post-show brawls, many fans wondered if the duo would once again lock horns, following the live broadcast ending.

Matt Kempke has now shared footage of what actually went down following the special, with both stars leaving the ring.

Randy Orton was first to leave, rolling to the ringside area and taking a moment to regroup. Orton then walked from the ringside area to the back, not taking his eyes off Rhodes the entire time.

Following the Viper’s exit, Rhodes received an ovation from the crowd. He didn’t take to the mic to sign off, instead he silently showed his respect to those in attendance, before greeting his mother and Brandi Rhodes.

You can view this footage below, under this news story.

In the closing moments of Sunday Night’s Main Event, Michael Cole emphasised on commentary that Randy Orton was victorious “by just surviving.”

This is an interesting direction for the Viper, who didn’t look dominant in victory in his first match since his return to WWE TV.

Rhodes and Orton are now 1-1 in singles competition this year, with the American Nightmare notably retaining the Undisputed WWE Championship against his former mentor at WrestleMania 42.

Orton attacked Rhodes with the WWE Title belt and hit him with a Punt Kick to stand tall following the match.

The Viper was then absent from WWE TV for three months – and two Undisputed WWE Title changes – returning at SummerSlam in early-August.

Randy Orton made his return during CM Punk’s Undisputed WWE Championship defense against Cody Rhodes, costing Rhodes the bout.

With one win apiece, it will be interesting to see the direction WWE takes with the rubber match, and how the company will finish this story.

Randy Orton following WWE Sunday Night's Main Event 👇pic.twitter.com/kVPUl7J1Iw

— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) September 7, 2026

 

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• Sunday Night's Main Event
• wwe
• Randy Orton
• Cody Rhodes

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