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WWE Superstar Randy Orton landed an RKO on Nick Aldis during this week’s episode of SmackDown. The General Manager found himself on the receiving end of the finisher after he informed The Viper that Kevin Owens’ injury had left him without a match at WrestleMania 41. Now, Aldis could recruit Omos to teach Orton a lesson.
The 7’3” monster made his last WWE appearance in the 2024 André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. During his time away from the company, he also worked with Pro Wrestling Noah, where he won the GHC Tag Team Championship alongside Jack Morris. The Stamford-based promotion has now called him back, after which he relinquished his title.
This week on SmackDown, Kevin Owens, accompanied by Nick Aldis, announced he would be pulling out of WrestleMania 41 to undergo neck surgery. The Prizefighter noted that he was grinding through the pain for four straight months, but the doctors have now assessed the severity of his injury. As KO walked out, thanking the fans, Randy Orton hit Aldis with an RKO after hearing that he wouldn’t be heading to Las Vegas anymore.
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The Viper had stated two weeks ago that Owens’ Piledriver in November 2024 had brought back the voices in his head. Moreover, he had also said that he wants to Punt Kick KO in the head at The Show of Shows, hinting at the return of his Legend Killer persona.
Notably, this wasn’t the first time The Apex Predator had hit Aldis with an RKO. Right after he signed with SmackDown following his return at the 2023 Survivor Series, Orton landed his finisher on the GM. To safeguard himself and teach the 14-time WWE Champion a lesson, Aldis could recruit Omos as his bodyguard. While this is a strong possibility, all of this remains speculation for now.
Will Randy Orton get a new WrestleMania 41 opponent?
The Road to WrestleMania 41 seems to have come to an end for Randy Orton, with only two weeks left before The Show of Shows. However, Triple H could still find The Viper an opponent for 'Mania. The Hardy Boyz are currently working with WWE NXT due to the company’s partnership with TNA.
Notably, Jeff Hardy and The Apex Predator share an iconic history, and WWE could consider the TNA World Tag Team Champion as Kevin Owens’ replacement. Additionally, Orton’s former tag team partner, Matt Riddle, has risen as a huge singles star in Major League Wrestling and is the reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion.
The former RK-Bro partner of The Viper was a big support to Orton when his back started to hurt in 2021. However, the two had their differences, and Riddle had also been on the receiving end of an RKO. Now, a World Heavyweight Champion in MLW could potentially face his former tag partner in Las Vegas.
It will be interesting to see if Randy Orton can make it to WrestleMania 41, which is only 14 nights away.
