Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton kicked off this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown with a heated verbal showdown, though the segment aired in a spliced format due to a power outage that disrupted the live international broadcast. The show, which was taped earlier in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, briefly went off the air during its original airing.
The full segment was later shown during the U.S. broadcast on USA Network, with large portions filmed using handheld cameras or a cell phone. An on-screen graphic acknowledged the issue. The following message was displayed:
“The Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton segment experienced technical issues during the live recording from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Thank you for your patience.”
Rhodes and Orton will clash in the King of the Ring finals tomorrow at WWE Night of Champions 2025.
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