There are different forms of arrogance.

CM Punk's arrogance comes from believing he's the best.

Randy Orton's arrogance?

Believing he has the right to control another man's destiny.

And Cody Rhodes has had enough.

"You Owe Me an Explanation"

At SummerSlam, Cody Rhodes had an opportunity to defeat CM Punk and capture the Undisputed WWE Championship.

But Randy Orton changed everything.

Orton interfered.

He struck Cody Rhodes with an RKO, opening the door for CM Punk to capitalize and walk away with the championship.

Now Cody wants answers.

Not backstage.

Not through an interview.

Cody wants Randy Orton in the ring.

And his message is simple:

"You owe me an explanation."

But Randy Orton doesn't believe he owes Cody anything.

In fact, according to Orton, Cody is responsible for the monster standing in front of him.

"You asked me to be this way."

Think about those words.

Randy isn't apologizing.

He's blaming Cody.

Orton Doesn't Want the Championship

Here's what makes this story different.

Randy Orton doesn't care who holds the Undisputed WWE Championship.

CM Punk?

Fine.

Someone else?

Fine.

Anybody except Cody Rhodes.

Orton's mission isn't necessarily to become champion.

His mission is making sure Cody Rhodes never becomes champion again.

That's dangerous.

Because how do you negotiate with somebody who doesn't want what you want?

Cody can lose a championship match and come back.

He can lose his number one contender status and earn another opportunity.

But Randy Orton isn't trying to defeat Cody in one match.

He's trying to destroy the destination.

Every time Cody gets close to the championship, Randy wants to be standing in the road.

And Randy Orton is arrogant enough to believe he can do it.

"You Asked Me to Be This Way"

That statement might tell us everything about Randy Orton right now.

"You asked me to be this way."

Orton has spent years evolving.

The Legend Killer.

The Viper.

The Apex Predator.

Eventually, Randy became the respected veteran. The future Hall of Famer. The man younger wrestlers looked up to.

And Cody Rhodes knows Randy Orton better than most.

There is history between these two men.

There is respect.

There was friendship.

There was mentorship.

But Cody also knows exactly what Randy Orton is capable of becoming.

And now Orton is essentially telling him:

You wanted the old Randy Orton?

You got him.

Except there's a problem.

The old Randy Orton didn't care about friendships.

He didn't care about loyalty.

And he certainly didn't care about destroying someone else's dreams.

Cody Rhodes Fires Back

But Cody doesn't back down.

Instead, Cody attacks the very identity Randy Orton built his career around.

Randy Orton spent years calling himself the Legend Killer.

Cody turns those words against him.

"You call yourself a Legend Killer, but you're by yourself."

And then Cody asks the question that changes everything:

"Who's going to kill you?"

That's cold.

Because Randy Orton has spent his career hunting legends.

Now Randy Orton is the legend.

He's no longer the young man looking across the ring at Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker or Triple H.

He's the veteran.

He's the future Hall of Famer.

He's the man with decades behind him.

So Cody's question becomes much bigger.

Eventually, every Legend Killer becomes a legend himself.

And eventually...

someone comes looking for the legend.

This Isn't About Punk Anymore

CM Punk may be holding the championship.

But suddenly, Cody Rhodes has a much bigger problem.

Randy Orton.

Cody wants another opportunity at Punk.

Orton wants to make sure that opportunity never happens.

And that's what makes Randy's arrogance so dangerous.

He's not saying:

"I'm better than you."

He's saying:

"I control what happens to you."

I decide whether you become champion.

I decide whether you get another opportunity.

I decide how far your story goes.

But Randy Orton may have forgotten something.

Cody Rhodes spent his entire career fighting against people who told him what he couldn't become.

Now one of the most important people from his past is trying to do exactly that.

So maybe Randy Orton should think carefully about Cody's question.

You were the Legend Killer.

Now you're the legend.

And who's going to kill you?

Maybe Randy Orton already knows the answer.

Cody Rhodes?


Or will there be a future match between Randy Orton and Gunther (The Career Killer).