Bully Ray believes the Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 42 should remain a one-on-one showdown between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.
Rhodes recaptured the Undisputed WWE Championship from Drew McIntyre on the latest episode of WWE SmackDown, officially setting up a title defense against Orton at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. Orton earned the opportunity earlier by winning the Men’s Elimination Chamber match.
Before the championship picture became official, speculation had circulated about the possibility of expanding the WrestleMania title match into a multi-man contest involving Rhodes, Orton, McIntyre, and Jacob Fatu. Ray, however, made it clear he has no interest in seeing that happen.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Ray explained that he has been hoping for a Rhodes vs. Orton match on WWE’s biggest stage.
“I hope Cody beats Drew,” Ray said at the time. “This has nothing to do with Drew. I want Randy versus Cody at WrestleMania.”
Ray added that he would rather see McIntyre involved in a different program entirely, even suggesting a potential match between McIntyre and Fatu. He also floated the idea of Nick Aldis serving as a special guest referee if that storyline were to happen.
For Ray, the biggest reason to keep the championship match as a singles bout comes down to the story between Rhodes and Orton. The two share a long history dating back to their time together in the Legacy faction, where Orton served as a mentor to the young Rhodes.
Ray argued that turning the WrestleMania match into a multi-man bout would weaken that story.
“No fatal four-way or triple threat could produce a better performance than Randy and Cody,” Ray said, noting that adding more competitors would make the match feel “completely watered down.”
Ray also suggested that WWE has been deliberately holding off on the Rhodes vs. Orton matchup for years because they understood how big it could be on the right stage.
“I think that Cody and Randy thing has been on their radar for so long now,” Ray said. “They’ve been like, ‘We don’t have to do it now. We can push it off until then.’”
Now that Rhodes is once again Undisputed WWE Champion and Orton has his WrestleMania title opportunity locked in, the matchup Ray has been advocating for is officially set to take place on WWE’s biggest stage.
