The Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes saga added another twist on Smackdown as Owens executed a brutal attack on Randy Orton. For those who didn’t know, Kevin Owens attacked Cody Rhodes after Bad Blood off air WWE, turning heel in the process.
You thought that was bad? Wait till you read all he did on Smackdown, by the end of the show, he had solidified his position as a heel. This article will throw more light on what transpired on Friday night and also analyze possible directions in which WWE can take the feud.
What Happened on WWE Smackdown?
The latest episode of Smackdown had Kevin Owens come out to bare his frustrations to the WWE universe, interrupting Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson’s entrance in their slated tag team championship match against Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. Owens started by saying that he was told not to be there before his microphone was cut to stop him from speaking.
Undeterred, the prize-fighter took Corey Grave’s ringside commentary gear and made his feelings known. He stated that Cody Rhodes turned on him and not the other way around implying that his actions were justified.
An enraged Cody came out and both men seemed destined to square off despite the intervention of the WWE security. This was until Randy Orton came out and attempted to douse the situation. He got the WWE Universal Champion to stand down, offering to talk to Owens.
KO, however, would not back down, and when Randy attempted to physically restrain him, he hit him with an elbow. The Viper, in the heat of the moment, hit him with a punch in retaliation (I’m personally shocked it wasn’t an RKO).
The look of what appeared pure hurt Owens had while on the floor and as he retreated from the ring seemed like he was in shock at what he perceived to be Randy Orton’s betrayal, and his retribution was swift in coming. Later on in the show, he brutally attacked Orton, laying out his former friend in the parking lot. As Nick Aldis and the security struggled to get him off his former friend, Kevin screamed “You’re gonna pick sides? You picked the wrong side.” They finally managed to get him off the apex predator who was reeling from being preyed on by his close mate.
How Did It Come To This? The Build-up to the Current Situation
The WWE management and creative department, under the leadership of Triple H, have proven themselves to be masters of long-term storytelling, and this was another example. This is a story that has been building up from the early days of the bloodline when KO repeatedly challenged Roman Reigns’ tyrannical reign only to continually come up short. Randy Orton, upon his return also feuded with the bloodline but was also dispatched.
Both continued to antagonize the bloodline, becoming strong allies of Cody when he took on the bloodline and supporting him when he fought the new bloodline led by Solo Sikoa. Thus, both were aggrieved when Cody chose to team up with Reigns at WWE Bad Blood.
Owens appeared especially pissed at this perceived betrayal from a friend who knew and shared a lot of his travails with the bloodline, and this led to his attack on the American Nightmare leading up to the current situation.
What Next, Where Could WWE Go with This Storyline
With KO’s attack on the viper soon after he attacked Rhodes, there are multiple ways the storyline could go. The obvious path would be having Owens and Randy feud at WWE Crown Jewel as Cody will face Gunther. Thus, they could have Orton seeking revenge for the attack on him leading to a match between both men while they build up Cody versus Gunther.
They could also have Randy lash out at both men with his anger (or the voices in his head) getting the best of him. He could attack Owens in the coming weeks and when Rhodes tries to make the peace, the apex predator could attack him as well, creating a feud among all three, possibly leading to a triple threat match involving all of them.
If the first storyline is adopted, KO could go over in his feud with Orton, then continue his agenda against the Universal champion. He could even cost Cody Rhodes the match with Gunther, making this beef even deeper.
The creative team could also mix it up and possibly interlink these storylines, having Owens beat Orton at Crown Jewel while building tension between Orton and Cody with the viper being upset that his supposed friend did not have his back against the prizefighter especially because it was for Cody’s sake that he got into the whole situation in the first place.
This would lead to Orton attacking Cody and costing him the match versus the ring general at Crown Jewel, while still seeking to avenge his defeat at the hands of Owens at Crown Jewel. This would then create genuine tension among all three men leading to a three-way feud.
This could also be used as a lay the beginnings of a foundation that will propel an eventual Homelander-like heel turn for Cody Rhodes in the long term with the betrayals from his friends being one of the factors to push him over the edge.
In all, the best aspect of Kevin Owens’ current rampage is that it leaves WWE with so many options, and all of them, if done right, could lead to very satisfying feuds. Thus, whichever way the creative team decides to take this, if they play it well, we will have a classic storyline on our hands. Oh, and we’ve learned that a pissed-off Kevin Owens is a menace to everyone, knowing neither friend nor foe.