I have to say, I went into this match knowing it was going to be long and a bit intense, especially since the Crown Jewel only featured four matches and I knew WWE would drag things out. I knew this Last Man Standing match between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton was one the company was going to use to fill some time.
That said, this feud was totally worthy of the Last Man Standing clause, and I think it was all worth it, as slow as it seemed, as we saw Rhodes go to “that dark place” and hit a bloody Orton to win the match. It leaves some questions surrounding Rhodes’ character moving forward, and that’s something the “American Nightmare” desperately needs.
It’s been a huge week for wrestling contract matches, from Blood & Guts on AEW, to an unsanctioned match on WWE NXT, and finally, on WWE SmackDown, Kevin Owens vs. Even though it was a bit weird to end last night then start today’s show with hardcore stipulations, I think the Punk vs. Owens match had a lot more weapons and time outside of the ring compared to the Orton vs. Rhodes match. The men having to beat the 10 count to remain in the match also helped differentiate things.
The in-ring (and out-of-ring) action wasn’t much to write home about during this Last Man Standing match, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t still solid. It was a typical WWE matchup using kendo sticks, chairs, steps, tables, etc., but Rhodes took a nasty hit from the ladder he set up. Rhodes had Orton down on the commentary desk and jumped from the ladder, but Orton moved at the last second, and Rhodes bounced off the desk. At one point in the ring, Rhodes stopped referee Charles Robinson from making the count, which I liked, and then he hit after laying Orton open on the remaining steps inside the ring. It was quite a violent sequence.
Rhodes hitting Orton, wiping “The Viper’s” blood across his chest, felt like a nice, definitive end to this saga that began before WrestleMania 42. It’s also intriguing as many fans continue to clamor for a Rhodes heel turn. I don’t like the commentary or Rhodes “going to a dark place” too terribly before the show goes on, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out on SmackDown. I’m interested to see a Rhodes promo and hear more about how he’s feeling on Friday, and I can’t remember the last time I felt that way.
Written by Daisy Ruth