Sports

Riyadh Crowd Chants ‘OVERRATED’ as Cody Rhodes Loses Fan Support at Crown Jewel

By Neda Ali

During the Last Man Standing match at WWE Crown Jewel 2026, Cody Rhodes faced a hostile crowd in Riyadh. The audience loudly chanted “OVERRATED” at the former Undisputed WWE Champion, indicating he was not the fan favorite in the opening contest. Rhodes entered the bout as the babyface, while Randy Orton was positioned as the heel. However, the Saudi Arabian crowd showed considerably more support for Orton, cheering his offense and booing Rhodes throughout the match. Fans also chanted for Orton to hit the RKO, adding to the hostile reception for Rhodes. This was not the first time Rhodes faced a difficult reception from the Riyadh audience. On the January 30 episode of SmackDown, he suggested that winning a third consecutive Royal Rumble would make sense for him. The crowd immediately responded with loud “NO” chants, while Orton received a much warmer reaction when he interrupted the segment. The response at Crown Jewel highlighted the challenge WWE faces when presenting Orton as a villain against a popular star. Orton’s history and standing with the audience have made it difficult for fans to turn against him, even when he is playing the antagonist. Rhodes still walked away with the victory after delivering a punt kick to Orton, but the loud “OVERRATED” chants ensured the crowd reaction became one of the talking points from their match. This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 7, 2026, in the Wrestling section.