Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton will settle their escalating rivalry in a Last Man Standing match at WWE Crown Jewel on November 7 in Saudi Arabia. The stipulation was set during the October 23 episode of WWE SmackDown, when a confrontation between the two men boiled over and WWE confirmed the match for the upcoming premium live event.
According to multiple outlets, including Fightful and WrestleZone, Rhodes wanted to face Orton immediately on SmackDown, but neither Orton nor WWE official Nick Aldis were willing to let the fight happen on the spot. Instead, Aldis stepped in during the segment and proposed the stipulation match for Crown Jewel, setting up what will be one of the most physical encounters WWE can offer between the two rivals.
The Last Man Standing match adds a brutal new chapter to a feud that has already produced multiple matches between Rhodes and Orton, with both men having traded wins over one another in recent encounters, according to WrestleZone and Wrestling Inc. The stipulation requires a competitor to remain down for a ten count to lose, typically allowing for the use of ringside weapons and no disqualification, which raises the stakes considerably compared to their previous standard matches.
The announcement comes as part of WWE’s build toward Crown Jewel, which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia on November 7. With Rhodes and Orton now officially booked in one of wrestling’s most unforgiving stipulations, the match is set to serve as a definitive answer to a rivalry that has played out across multiple SmackDown broadcasts and prior matches.
Nick Aldis’s role in proposing the stipulation, rather than simply approving a request from Rhodes, positions WWE management as an active participant in shaping how the feud concludes. No further details about the broader Crown Jewel card were included in the reports confirming this match.
