4 Things Randy Orton could do on WWE SmackDown this week

WWE Friday Night SmackDown last week featured a heartbreaking segment. Nick Aldis was in the ring and introduced Kevin Owens. The normally grumpy superstar was acting differently.

As it turns out, he was acting different to the norm for good reason. The Prizefighter revealed that he had to undergo neck surgery and will be missing WrestleMania 41 as a result. This is not a storyline and Kevin is legitimately injured.

Kevin Owens had previously been announced for a one-on-one match with Randy Orton at The Show Of Shows. The two had a feud with build going back half a year, but now they will be unable to compete, and thus, Orton is out of WrestleMania.

The Viper is likely set to appear on SmackDown tonight. What could Orton do after the crushing news from last week? Could he set up a major WrestleMania bout? Could The Viper be attacked by a returning name? This article will tackle a handful of possibilities.

Below are four things Randy Orton could do on WWE SmackDown this week.

#4. He could apologize for attacking WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis

As noted, Kevin Owens came out and announced he was injured on WWE SmackDown last week. Randy Orton then made his presence known, with the two having a staredown of sorts. The Viper ultimately let Owens leave unscathed.

From there, Nick Aldis broke some unfortunate news to Randy. As a result of Owens being unable to compete at WrestleMania, The Viper will no longer have a match at the massive WWE event. Randy, in a fit of rage, nailed the General Manager with the RKO.

A week later, Randy could see the error of his ways. He could approach Nick man-to-man and apologize for what he did. From there, he could take any kind of potential punishment willingly, owning up to his mistake. It would show growth for The Viper compared to years of being chaotic.

#3. The Viper could hit Nick Aldis with another RKO

Of course, Randy Orton simply apologizing and choosing to accept a punishment feels a bit unlikely. He hasn't exactly had a great experience with authority figures in WWE in the past.

For example, The Viper has RKO'd or otherwise attacked the likes of Eric Bischoff, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon, and Triple H. He has even hit WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis with an RKO once before and was fined heavily for it.

Come Friday Night SmackDown tonight, The Legend Killer could go the alternate route. Instead of apologizing for his behavior or correcting it, he could double down and hit Aldis with another RKO. If this happens, it could set up a feud between the two. This could mean the pair clash, but it could also mean someone fights Orton on Nick's behalf.

#2. Randy Orton could challenge Solo Sikoa to a bout at WrestleMania

Solo Sikoa has been on WWE's main roster for almost three years now. He debuted by joining The Bloodline and later attempted to take over the group, which was successful for a short period of time.

The former self-proclaimed Tribal Chief is now sort of lost in the shuffle in WWE, however. He has no match at WrestleMania, which is surprising since he was in the main event of SummerSlam just eight months ago.

Putting aside Orton's issues with Nick Aldis for a moment, it is strange that two stars at the level of Solo Sikoa and Randy Orton are both missing WrestleMania. To correct this, The Viper could choose to challenge Solo on SmackDown tonight. From there, both could end up on the WrestleMania card.

#1. He could be shockingly assaulted by Rusev

Major WWE news broke recently. Rusev has reportedly re-signed with the sports entertainment juggernaut. He has been with All Elite Wrestling and competing under the name Miro off and on for several years, but his booking never truly delivered there.

Now, he has a chance to begin again in a company where he had a lot of success. Rusev is a former WWE United States Champion and was at one point one of the top heels in the entire promotion. On SmackDown tonight, he could return to that very same spot.

The Bulgarian Brute could shockingly attack The Viper on SmackDown. This could then set up a WrestleMania bout between the two. Whether he does it on his own accord or at the behest of Nick Aldis could be determined by Triple H and company officials, but if the end game is The Bulgarian Brute vs. The Viper at WrestleMania, it'll be excellent regardless.