Mark Henry shared strong praise for Randy Orton heel turn on Cody Rhodes. During the March 13 episode of WWE SmackDown, Orton attacked Cody Rhodes after their contract signing for the Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 42. Henry called this moment the return of the dangerous Viper persona that made Orton one of wrestling’s most feared stars. He appeared on Busted Open After Dark to explain why the segment stood out.

Henry asked fans to think about the last time a contract signing felt this intense. “When was the last time you saw a contract signing that was as compelling as the one we just got?” Henry said on the show. “It made sense.” He described the buildup step by step. Orton avoided eye contact with Rhodes during an emotional speech. “Randy could not look at Cody. He turned his back. I knew right then that there was some kind of conflicted feeling in Randy,” Henry said. “Randy got ready to say something. His voice was broken, because he knew in his mind what was going on and what was about to play out. Cody still didn’t get it. Cody was blinded by ‘that’s my boy.’”

After the attack, Orton sat in the ring with the title on his lap. Henry loved the visual of Orton staring into the camera without words. “He looks straight up at the camera as if he’s looking at the fans and not saying nothing. He’s saying an awful lot with his eyes, with one head nod. He’s like, ‘You get it. This is how bad I want to be champion. I will sacrifice my boy in order to be champion again,’” Henry said. “Heavy duty s**t. Masterful.”

Henry believes the heel turn came at the right time for WWE. He expressed frustration with too much friendly behavior in wrestling. “I’m tired of all the tree hugging, the kissing on the cheek, the bowing to your competitor,” he said. “I competed in two Olympic Games, multiple National Championships, World Championships. I never bowed to no man.” He linked it to his own success as a heel. “As much as I love being Mr. USA, as much as I love being Sexual Chocolate, as much as I love being the World’s Strongest Man – you know where I made the most money? In the Nation of Domination, kicking people’s ass. In the Hall of Pain,” Henry said. “The people wanted to see me run people through cages, throw heavy items on people. That’s what I want from Randy.”

Older wrestling figures will enjoy this change more, Henry noted. “Bob Orton, the older guys, Jesse Ventura – I bet you he is laughing his ass off right now, because they respect the gangster,” he said. “They respect the guy that knows he could be good, but he chooses to be bad because it pays well, and chicks dig scars.” He warned fans how to approach the new Randy Orton. “Don’t trust him. Don’t turn your back on him. Don’t hug him. Don’t reach to shake his hand. Don’t ask for acknowledgement. Fear him and treat him like he’s gonna punch you at any moment,” Henry said.

The co-host mentioned Orton’s history with the Rhodes family, including punting Dusty Rhodes in 2007 as the Legend Killer. This attack brings that story full circle ahead of WrestleMania 42. Orton also shoved Jelly Roll and Nick Aldis during the chaos, making him seem more unpredictable. “You push Nick Aldis down, you push Jelly Roll down, and you sit there and you become unpredictable. You become the Viper,” Henry said.

The Randy Orton heel turn on Cody Rhodes adds fresh energy to WWE programming. WrestleMania 42 happens April 18-19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with Rhodes defending the title against Orton in a main event match.

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