Cody Rhodes retains Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42, but Randy Orton gets last licks

LAS VEGAS – Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton enactment connected a axenic wrestling lucifer astatine WrestleMania 42 connected Saturday nighttime successful Las Vegas and the looming distraction was eliminated for the astir part.

Pat McAfee entered the ringing with Orton to statesman the match. The beingness of the ESPN commentator was intelligibly a sore spot for fans arsenic helium received immoderate of the loudest boos of the nighttime astatine Allegiant Stadium. He attacked Rhodes with a microphone to commencement the match.

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Pat McAfee greets fans from the ringing connected nighttime 1 of WrestleMania 42 astatine Allegiant Stadium successful Las Vegas, Nev., connected April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Once Rhodes got his bearings, helium pushed Orton to the broadside and turned his attraction to McAfee. He cleared disconnected the denote table, placed McAfee connected it. He allowed Jelly Roll to deed an elbow driblet onto the erstwhile NFL player. McAfee was booed arsenic helium was carried retired of the arena connected a stretcher.

The lucifer yet began. It moved a slow, but calculated gait for the astir part. Rhodes, who usually doesn’t people his ailing opponents, kept moving Orton’s backmost for the full match. The assemblage watched silently arsenic Rhodes and Orton traded blows and tried to summation vantage connected 1 another.

It wasn’t until Rhodes pushed Orton into the ringing station extracurricular of the squared ellipse wherever the assemblage yet woke up. Orton was busted open. Rhodes tried to bargain Orton’s finisher and springiness him an RKO but it was countered. Orton past stole Rhodes’ maneuver and deed "The American Nightmare" with a Cross Rhodes.

Moments later, Rhodes yet deed Orton with an RKO. But still, nary fall. Orton responded with an RKO of his own. He could odor his 15th WWE championship, but Rhodes kicked out.

Cody Rhodes reacts earlier his Undisputed WWE Championship lucifer against Randy Orton astatine WrestleMania 42 connected April 18, 2026, astatine Allegiant Stadium successful Las Vegas, Nev. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Orton got Rhodes again and deed him again with an RKO. The lucifer wore connected and Charles Robinson was yet deed with an RKO. There was nary referee. Orton tried to footwear Rhodes successful the groin reminiscent of what McAfee did to him connected SmackDown a fewer weeks ago.

Rhodes countered and kicked Orton successful the groin instead. Rhodes went to the apical enactment erstwhile Orton came retired of obscurity with the RKO erstwhile more. There was nary referee to count, until McAfee made a miraculous recovery.

McAfee sprinted down to the ringing and counted for Orton, but Rhodes kicked retired astatine two.

McAfee tried to outcry astatine Orton to proceed his attack, but Orton nailed McAfee with an RKO. Rhodes took vantage of Orton taking his oculus disconnected the shot for a split-second. Rhodes deed the Cross Rhodes and pinned Orton for the triumph to clasp the championship.

The exhausted and bloody competitors caught their enactment successful the ring, but Orton was acold from finished. He grabbed the loop from Rhodes and deed him with it.

Randy Orton steals the loop from Cody Rhodes earlier Rhodes defeated Orton during their Undisputed WWE Championship lucifer connected nighttime 1 of WrestleMania 42 astatine Allegiant Stadium successful Las Vegas, Nev., connected April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Orton ended the nighttime with a punt footwear to Rhodes’ head, ending Night 1.