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LAS VEGAS – Cody Rhodes left the ring with more than he bargained for Saturday night after defeating Randy Orton for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42.
Orton hit Rhodes with the title belt and kicked him in the head after the match. Rhodes was laid out in the center of the ring as his music blared through Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. WWE medical staff came out to check on “The American Nightmare.”
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Randy Orton enters the arena before his Undisputed WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
WWE later revealed on social media that Rhodes was dealing with a nasty swollen left eye after the match.
https://x.com/WWE/status/2045693211918676040
Rhodes won the match, but it wasn’t easy. He had to deal with Pat McAfee as a continued nuisance in his feud with Orton. McAfee started the match by hitting Rhodes with a microphone. But he would later be carried out on a stretcher after being put through the announce table by Jelly Roll.
Cody Rhodes celebrates his victory against Randy Orton during the WWE Undisputed Championship match on the night of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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McAfee returned, only to receive an RKO from Orton.
Rhodes picked up the win a year after dropping the championship to John Cena at WrestleMania 41. He has been champion for a few weeks and won the title back in March from Drew McIntyre.
Randy Orton engages Cody Rhodes during their Undisputed WWE Championship match on April 18, 2026 at WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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The next few weeks will determine who will be the next challenger for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Rhodes will definitely be feeling more beaten up than usual after a bloody war with Orton to beat WrestleMania 42 Night 1.
