Exclusive: WWE superstar Cody Rhodes talks Wrestlemania 42, Randy Orton, career twilight

Cody Rhodes is facing a full circle moment against Randy Orton entering WrestleMania 42.

The undisputed WWE champion is about to main event his third consecutive WrestleMania and he's doing so against his former mentor and stablemate. Orton is seeking his 15th world title reign and his first since 2020.

Since Rhodes' return to the WWE in 2022 — he originally debuted in 2007 against Orton and lasted until 2016 — this is his first feud with Orton.

The 14-time world champion has reverted back to his renowned Viper gimmick from 2009 and has gone in heel mode entering WrestleMania 42.

"The hill in front of me is Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42," Rhodes told Casino Guru News in an exclusive interview on behalf of his partnership with Drumstick. "I don't want this to be a prolonged rivalry with Randy Orton because there's been 20 years between us. I want this to be one-and-done. I want him looking up at the lights at WrestleMania 42 and I want to make up for how I left the situation in the same stadium, at Allegiant Stadium at WrestleMania 41.

Rhodes' involvement with Orton as part of The Legacy stable from 2008 until 2010 catapulted him into some of WWE's biggest storylines at the time. Rhodes — who was in his early 20s back then — feuded with the likes of DX, which featured Shawn Michaels and Triple H.

Rhodes shares best advice he’s received from Randy Orton

Orton has been an instrumental part of Rhodes' career. When asked what is the biggest thing he's learned from the 46-year-old great, Rhodes said: "Don't ask for permission."

"Probably the best advice, which is a common expression in our business, but really has kind of stood the test of time with Randy is ‘Don't ask for permission, ask for forgiveness,’" Rhodes said. "When you know how to tell a story, and when you know how to grab that mic and connect with the audience, that's something that's really been honest and true with me as I've grown at WWE and continue to grow.

"There's a lot of advice I definitely could not include in an interview, but I can certainly say his voice is in my head a great many nights when I'm out there," Rhodes continued. "Because so much of what he said would happen, or could happen, in certain scenarios as a pro wrestler on any given night, have happened for me. And I had a very good teacher."

Rhodes: ‘Randy should be in the G.O.A.T. conversation’

Orton is the youngest world champion in WWE history, having accomplished the feat at the age of 24 in 2004. He's been a main event fixture ever since then and is regarded as not only one of the best of his generation, but one of the best of all time.

John Cena holds the record for most world title reigns at 17 and Orton could conceivably match — if not surpass that — by the time his career is over. Rhodes said Orton's legacy when he retires is among the greatest of all-time with the likes of Cena, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan.

"No matter how poorly he's handled certain things with me, I do think Randy should be in the G.O.A.T. conversation," Rhodes said. "G.O.A.T. is used a lot in a funny way. But if you're really looking at who's the greatest of all time consistently, and you ask yourself about somebody like a John Cena, you talk about a Ric Flair, you talk about a Hulk Hogan, a Triple H, a Shawn Michaels. You have to also bring into account Randy Orton, for not just the accolades of being the youngest world champion of all-time, but consistency is key.

"Randy has consistently captured the imagination of the audience since he was in his early 20s, and here he is still doing it, and deservingly so going into a WrestleMania main event. That has to be somebody's G.O.A.T."

Rhodes: Next WWE contract ‘will probably be the last one’

While the 46-year-old Orton has previously said that he would like to remain with WWE and active in the ring past his current contract — it ends in 2029 — the 40-year-old Rhodes said that his next contract with WWE will likely be his last before he calls it a career.

"I'm thinking that contract could be three years, it could be five, it could be seven," Rhodes said. "But that will probably be the last one, just because I've never robbed the bank with any of my contracts. I've never believed in that. But I'm now at the age, with enough data behind me, that I can feel really good about whatever that day's pay is.

"And when that's over, I feel like I owe it to my girls, who are four and seven months — Liberty and Leilani — I owe it to them that they have a full-time dad when the full-time wrestling is through."

Rhodes said beyond his career and legacy that he'd like to leave WWE, he'd like to continue acting.

Rhodes is starring in the newest "Street Fighter" movie as Guile alongside fellow superstar Roman Reigns.

"I'm very excited about Street Fighter, which is coming out in October, and I'd like to continue to tell stories in the TV and film space while I do this at WWE," Rhodes said. "And because of WWE's current president, Nick Khan, that option is now available to me.

"If I could take a page from Randy in terms of career objectives, it's to continue to capture the imagination of the audience. And who knows? You can't be a good guy forever either. That's something I think people mistakenly always say I'm against. I'm not against anything if it's meaning WWE fans have the best time."