What’s the History Behind Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes That Made Them Friends in the First Place?

Randy Orton is returning to Survivor Series. He is going to be part of the men’s WarGames, where he will fight alongside his good friend, Cody Rhodes, and other male superstars. Rhodes and Orton share a lot of history together. In fact, upon his arrival at WWE, Rhodes shared his very first storylines with The Viper.

It started with a rivalry between the two superstars, which later morphed into a friendship. The friendship became so deep that The American Nightmare betrayed his tag team partner, Hardcore Holly, to join Orton’s faction. That said, let’s take a trip down memory lane and explore the past of when and how the two became friends in the first place.

The formation of The Legacy

Orton and Rhodes’ friendship started when the two became a part of the heel faction called The Legacy. The former was the leader of the group, which he created in September 2008. Another core member of the faction was Ted DiBiase Jr. Manu and Sim Snuka were also associated with the stable, but only for a short period.

The faction was a dominant one and its members saw many championship reigns during their time in the group. Orton won the WWE Championship thrice and also the 2009 Royal Rumble. Meanwhile, The American Nightmare won the Intercontinental Championship once and the World Tag Team Championship twice alongside his partner DiBiase.

The group was based on the concept that each member had a wrestling background that extended across several generations.

Why did Randy Orton name his faction The Legacy?

As a tribute to their extensive family backgrounds in the realm of wrestling, The Viper chose the name “The Legacy”. All three members of the faction hail from a legendary wrestling background. Orton’s father, Bob Orton, Jr., uncle Barry Orton, and grandfather Bob Orton, Sr. were all professional wrestlers.

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Rhodes joined the business, following the path set by his father Dusty Rhodes, his brother Dustin Rhodes, and his two uncles Jerry Sags and Fred Ottman. Similarly, DiBiase Jr. also comes from a long line of pro wrestlers. His father Ted DiBiase Sr., grandfather Mike DiBiase, and grandmother Helen Hild had the same profession as him.

The faction saw its end after almost two years in April 2010. The beginning of the end started when Orton betrayed his teammates at Raw in February 2010. It even led to a triple-threat match between the three faction members at WrestleMania 26, which saw The Apex Predator as the victor.

With Orton’s return and team-up with Rhodes, will The Legacy get reformed? What do you think?

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