Nattie (formerly Natalya) has shared her honest thoughts on the Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton feud that will lead us to WWE WrestleMania 42.
At the April 18 & 19 Premium Live Event, Cody Rhodes will put the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against Randy Orton, with recent weeks seeing their war of words turn into bloody violence, and Stephanie McMahon attempting to appeal to The American Nightmare.
Speaking to the Toronto Sun, Natalya shared her thoughts on the feud between the pair, noting the threat that Randy Orton presents to the Undisputed WWE Champion, saying:
“I think it’s been a long time coming. That’s the thing with Randy, he stays ready. He’s in amazing shape, he’s performing so well, he’s better than he’s ever been, and he was ready. There was a lull there with Randy, maybe I shouldn’t use the word lull, but there was a moment where even I, watching there as a fan, I was like, ‘Man, I want to see heel Randy.’ Because I think Randy has done his best work as a bad guy, and he’s a really unique bad guy. He’s almost so fascinating as a bad guy that you start to like him. It’s almost like he’s just so fun to watch. It’s very iconic getting to watch this version of Randy and right now in 2026 in WWE because he’s better than he’s ever been…
Nattie noted that “The Viper” is an example of an established star that is better than ever right now, which shows the importance of having a balanced roster of new and experienced stars.
Nattie continued:
“Yes, I am all about new talent growing, and ever since the first time I even got into WWE, I was the new talent but I was still thinking there was tons of women coming in. I’ve worked with probably 70 different women in WWE, maybe more, and I think we should always be thinking about fresh new faces within the company. But what I love right now is there’s a really nice balance of new, of legends and of talent that have been there that are still great, that are still better than they’ve ever been. Randy Orton is a perfect example of that.
“You look at Seth Rollins, he is a perfect example of that. You look at Bayley, she’s another great example. Bayley’s been in WWE for over a decade, but it doesn’t mean that people don’t still want to see her perform. But then you see Bayley mix it up with Sol Ruca, you see Randy mix it up with Je’Von Evans. It’s nice to see the mix.
“Listen he (Randy) is going to remind everybody why he’s one of the very best professional wrestlers in the world. He’s one of the very best to ever step foot in a ring. To me, he deserves that spot at WrestleMania because he is that good. And when you’re in an arena, when Randy’s music hits, everybody is listening, everybody is singing his song. Randy goes on that top turnbuckle and hits his pose; everybody’s doing it with him. He’s relatable, he’s got that equity, and he’s still able to go.
“Now if Randy wasn’t able to go and wasn’t able to perform, I would say, maybe it’s not his time anymore. But Randy’s as good, if not better, than he ever was. So he deserves to headline WrestleMania because his storyline, right now, is I want to know who the hell is on the other side of that phone.”
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Nattie would go on to note that both Orton and Rhodes’s respective characters have made her care about the story they are telling, stating:
“It’s good (Randy Orton embracing heel character). It’s also making me care about the most important part of this, which is the story.
“I give a s**t about the story because Randy and Cody make me care about this story. And they’re both fascinating because I’m gonna be honest, Cody’s lovable, but he also teeters sometimes on some cockiness, I kind of like it. I kind of like that Cody, he’s got an inner heel in him that’s ready to break out.
“And Randy is so loved because he’s got so much equity, and he is so believable. But Randy also loves being a bad guy, so there’s not really good versus bad. It’s just how this storyline is going to drive you to want to see this match, and everyone’s excited for it, it’s really cool.”
If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.
The Legacy Thrives In WWE
Back in 2008, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton were part of the multi-generational faction The Legacy, alongside Ted DiBiase Jr, Manu and Sim Snuka.
With Rhodes and Orton being the only two to currently, the pair last faced each other in singles action back at last year’s Night of Champions, with The American Nightmare defeating The Viper to become King of the Ring.
Since his return at WrestleMania 38, Rhodes has been a shining beacon as a face in WWE, while Orton would return from injury in November 2023, also very much following the good guy path.
This dangerous era of Orton harks back to his well-regarded 2009 run, with fans definitely behind the star, something that Rhodes would comment on in a recent interview.
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