WWE personality teases two high-profile returns for WrestleMania 41

Modified Apr 07, 2025 20:04 GMT

Las Vegas will host WrestleMania 41 [WWE/Courtesy]

WrestleMania 41 is fast approaching, and WWE has found itself in a pickle. One of the company's biggest stars does not have an opponent.

After Kevin Owens bowed out of his match against Randy Orton at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 19-20, fans wondered who would step up to challenge The Viper. WWE personality Sam Roberts teased the returns of Rusev and Aleister Black, who wrestled in AEW as Miro and Malakai Black, respectively.

Speaking on the Notsam Wrestling podcast, Roberts name-dropped the former WWE stars, speculating a similar situation for Randy Orton that Seth Rollins dealt with in 2022. At WrestleMania 38, Rollins did not have an opponent, so the creative team kept it a surprise until the event, where it was revealed that the returning Cody Rhodes would be his challenger.

"There are all these rumors floating around. Is Aleister Black going to show back up in WWE? Maybe, instead of waiting till after 'Mania, have him show up and fight Randy Orton. Is Rusev coming back to WWE? Maybe have Rusev — I mean, I think one of the two days of WrestleMania this year is actually on Rusev Day. So maybe have Rusev come back and fight Randy Orton," Sam Roberts said. [From 1:04:25 to 1:04:46]

In the end, the WWE analyst admitted the most logical booking would be to have The Viper wrestle SmackDown's sheriff, Nick Aldis.

Kevin Owens regrets missing WrestleMania 41 match against Randy Orton

The storyline between Randy Orton and Kevin Owens was one-year in the making, so naturally, The Prizefighter finds it very unsettling he has to sit on the bench for WrestleMania 41.

In an interview with Robbie Fox on My Mom's Basement, Kevin Owens revealed the injury and required surgery was understandable, but leaving his storyline with The Viper unresolved was disappointing. However, he noted that his family and colleagues are all supportive.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I've a great support system; my family is great, my co-workers are great, and everything. It sucks, man. Just not getting to wrestle Randy Orton at WrestleMania really sucks. That's the part that bugs me the most," Owens expressed.

With less than two weeks away from WrestleMania 41, WWE's creative team needs to speed up to present a Randy Orton match on the biggest show of the year.

Please credit Notsam Wrestling and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

About the author

Joel has been a WWE news writer at Sportskeeda for the last 2 years. Always having a penchant for writing, he worked as an independent screenwriter and a copy/content writer for almost 2 years before joining Sportskeeda.

Joel’s pro-wrestling knowledge comes from hours of watching it from a young age. His favorite wrestler is Shawn Michaels, but if he could go back in time to The Attitude Era, he would like to manage Chris Jericho and advise him to cut his hair and portray a character similar to Javier Bardem in the movie “No Country for Old Men,” something which Jericho later pulled off in 2008.

Besides Michaels, Joel is also a fan of Eddie Guerrero, Randy Orton, Edge, CM Punk, and Brock Lesnar. His current favorites are Roman Reigns, Gunther, and Drew McIntyre.

Joel is a team man and works closely with his colleagues, conducts thorough research, and only relies on top pro-wrestling sources for information. His well-researched news reports have received close to 10 million reads till date.

When not following pro wrestling, Joel can be found designing built spaces, auditioning for films, working out, spending time with family and watching movies.

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Edited by Jeevak Ambalgi