Cody Rhodes Delivers Punt Kick In Chaotic SmackDown Finish

Cody Rhodes may have finally answered the question that has followed him for months. On the October 16 episode of WWE SmackDown, the American Nightmare closed out a chaotic segment involving Randy Orton and Baron Corbin by delivering a vicious punt kick — the signature, skull-rattling maneuver long associated with Orton himself.

The moment capped off a storyline that has repeatedly challenged whether Rhodes possesses the ruthless edge needed to go toe-to-toe with his former mentor. Orton has spent recent months publicly doubting that Cody has what it takes to match his own dark instincts, framing their rivalry as a referendum on just how far the American Nightmare is willing to go. Friday night’s ending suggests WWE is ready to answer that question definitively — and not in Orton’s favor.

The punt kick carries weight beyond pure shock value. It’s one of the most recognizable and dangerous-looking moves in wrestling history, a maneuver Orton himself has used sparingly over the years precisely because of its visceral, almost unsettling impact. For Rhodes to borrow it against the backdrop of a storyline built on questioning his ruthlessness is a pointed creative choice — it’s not just a big move, it’s a symbolic one, turning Orton’s own weapon back on him or on those in his orbit.

Baron Corbin’s involvement in the chaos adds another layer to an already crowded dynamic. Corbin has long been a wildcard presence on SmackDown, and his presence during the segment hints that this feud may not be a clean one-on-one program between Rhodes and Orton, but something with more moving pieces heading into the weeks ahead.

For Rhodes, the moment represents a potential turning point in how he’s positioned as a top babyface. Since returning to WWE and reclaiming the mantle his father never captured, Cody has largely been painted as the virtuous hero chasing Orton’s old-school villainy. A willingness to cross that line — literally using Orton’s own finishing weapon — opens the door to a more morally complicated version of the character, one WWE creative may lean into as this rivalry escalates toward a bigger confrontation.

Whether this was a one-off dramatic beat or the start of a genuine shift in Rhodes’ in-ring psychology remains to be seen. But after months of Orton publicly questioning his resolve, Cody just gave a loud, physical rebuttal. The real test now is whether SmackDown follows through on it, or whether this was simply chaos for chaos’s sake heading into the next chapter of the feud.