Nick Aldis to sign 262 lbs monster to WWE as Randy Orton's WrestleMania 41 opponent? Possibility explored

Modified Apr 14, 2025 11:50 GMT

Randy Orton has demanded an opponent for WrestleMania 41 [Image credits: WWE.com] — Randy Orton has demanded an opponent for WrestleMania 41 [Image credits: wwe.com]

Last week on SmackDown, Randy Orton opened the show by having a conversation with Nick Aldis. He demanded that the blue brand's general manager find him an opponent for WrestleMania 41, or there would be consequences. With that in mind, could Aldis sign a 262-pound monster and have him face The Viper?

The monster in this scenario is Jeff Cobb. The 42-year-old Cobb recently left NJPW, and as such, rumors have been flying around about a potential move to WWE. Should these rumors prove true, Nick Aldis could book him in a match against Randy Orton.

There are plenty of hints suggesting Jeff Cobb is on the way to WWE. First and foremost is the timing of his departure from NJPW. The news came out this morning, to the surprise of many, as he was let go at his request and vacated the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

In addition to this, The Rock, a member of TKO's Board of Directors, was spotted wearing an NJPW t-shirt in a recent Instagram post, which has sparked a debate.

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Jeff Cobb would be a great addition to WWE's roster, and having him in a match against Randy Orton would make him that much more of a draw. That said, at this point, it is nothing more than speculation.

Randy Orton could very well end up facing Nick Aldis

The possibility of Randy Orton facing Jeff Cobb, as of this writing, is still up in the air. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of other performers The Legend Killer could face at The Show of Shows.

There have been numerous suggestions, including a few stars who haven't been announced for WrestleMania yet, like Solo Sikoa and Carmelo Hayes. However, perhaps the most intriguing option is Nick Aldis.

The last time Aldis set foot inside the squared circle was in 2023. He wrestled at the ACW Bluegrass Con in Kentucky. Shortly after, he joined WWE and became SmackDown's general manager.

Although it has been a while since he laced up his boots, Aldis is still in great shape. Hence, he could be a surprise opponent for Orton this weekend.

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At this point, though, as with the Jeff Cobb scenario, it is only speculation. Only time will tell if WWE actually plans on having Aldis don his wrestling gear once more.

About the author

Nithin is a Pro Wrestling writer who covers WWE news stories at Sportskeeda. He holds an MBA degree and has 4 years of content writing experience working for the likes of The SportsRush and GiveMeSport. His association with SK goes way back as he wrote for the pro wrestling division earlier, too, and interned with the team while pursuing his undergraduate degree.

Nithin’s writing style is inspired by the storytelling abilities of Japanese mangakas Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, and English authors like George R.R. Martin and JRR Tolkien. He strives to keep his reports accurate and relevant by keeping up to date with the pro wrestling world and catering to reader preferences.

He is a huge fan of Seth Rollins’ workhorse mentality and Sami Zayn’s never-say-die spirit. He says that if he could go back to The Attitude Era, he would love to manage Kurt Angle and bring out his ‘Wrestling Machine’ character much earlier in his career.

In his free time, Nithin watches, reads, and makes videos about sports on his YouTube channel ‘The Daily Raid.’ He also enjoys gaming, watching anime, and reading manga.

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Edited by Nithin Joseph