Why did WWE scrap Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton after WrestleMania 38? Heartbreaking reason inside

Over the last three years, Roman Reigns has established and achieved greatness on another level, defeating the best WWE has to offer. His list of victims is long and diverse.

The Tribal Chief has defeated Hall of Famers, all-time greats, and the stars of tomorrow. Edge, Goldberg, John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Brock Lesnar, Matt Riddle, Sami Zayn, and even his cousin Jey Uso have all taken trips to "The Island of Relevancy" to acknowledge Roman Reigns.

However, as long and impressive as his list of victims is, The Head of the Table hasn't faced Randy Orton during his record-setting World Championship run. According to various media outlets, WWE was planning Reigns vs. Orton in the aftermath of WrestleMania 38, presumably at SummerSlam.

Unfortunately, those plans never came to fruition due to unfortunate circumstances. The Viper was put on the shelf with a back injury. He was written off on the May 20th edition of SmackDown last year with a heinous assault by The Bloodline.

Orton was initially expected to return soon, but his injury was much more severe than the higher-ups had anticipated. The fourteen-time World Champion required a spinal fusion surgery, and a disheartening Fightful report suggested that retirement was a real option for him.

Hence, Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton never happened, and a returning Brock Lesnar faced the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion in a Last Man Standing Match at SummerSlam 2022.

Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton should happen once The Viper returns

Considering the circumstances of how Orton was put on the shelf, it makes sense for the returning Viper to target The Tribal Chief upon his return. The Bloodline viciously assaulted him after the Usos defeated RK-Bro to unify the Tag Team Championship.

Matt Riddle then went solo against the entire Bloodline, but he came up short. Once Orton returns to the ring, he could pick up where he left off and put this whole dilemma in the rear-view mirror.

The 14-time World Champion may be nearing an in-ring return as he recently ordered new wrestling boots. He might be back on television immediately after WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.

As for Roman Reigns, he cannot focus on The Apex Predator right now. The Tribal Chief faces a motivated and emotional Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania for the Unified World Championships. Once his program with Rhodes is complete, he can deal with the threat that Orton poses.