It’s been over two decades since the WWE Universe was introduced to John Cena on the June 27, 2002, episode of SmackDown. This week, Cena looked back at his debut match against Kurt Angle and poked fun at the unfortunate ring attire he wore for his first match on TV.
Randy Orton is back in WWE and is ready to take out every member of the Bloodline. The Viper will have the chance to do just tonight on SmackDown when he teams with LA Knight to face Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa.
Last week, WWE filed trademarks for a series of new names and now some have been appointed to NXT talent. PW Insider reports that Andrzej Hughes-Murray, a former LA Rams linebacker, will now compete as Dion Lennox. Kevin Robertson, a former Temple University defensive tackle will now be working as Kanu Carver.
Latest on WWE NXT Europe
WWE announced NXT Europe in 2022, but despite initial hopes for the brand to be up and running in 2023, that hasn’t been the case at all. Speaking on the pre-NXT Deadline media call, Shawn Michaels said that WWE remains committed to NXT Europe. WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative pointed at upcoming shows in Europe such as Bash in Berlin and WWE Backlash: France as a sign WWE has big plans for the continent.
A Women’s Royal Rumble Favorite
Next month, WWE will host its seventh-annual Women’s Royal Rumble match, with the winner earning a title shot at WrestleMania 40. In odds shared by Sky Bet, Bayley is the favorite to win next month’s match with 10/11 odds. Behind the Role Model is Jade Cargill (2/1), Becky Lynch (10/1), Raquel Rodriguez (10/1), and Charlotte Flair (12/1.) WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY and WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley share 16/1 odds.
Randy Orton remains optimistic about a possible return to the ring, despite the injury that has cost him nearly a year of his career.
Orton hasn’t wrestled since May of 2022 due to a debilitating back injury and there have been questions as to whether he’ll ever wrestle again.
The Viper’s most recent match saw himself and Matt Riddle lose the Raw Tag Team Championships to SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, who unified the two titles.
Taking Steps
This ongoing hiatus is the longest injury in Orton’s 20+ year career as part of the main roster.
Pro wrestling bootmaker Jose G Sanz posted an Instagram story where he stated that Orton recently contacted him about making boots for his return.
“I haven’t made them yet but Randy Orton contacted me via email for his return. Currently, Drew McIntyre and Bray Wyatt are some of the biggest superstars. Today I received an order for boots for Cody for Wrestlemania.”
Before knowing the severity of Orton’s condition, WWE had planned on the Viper challenging Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2022.
Feud with Riddle
There’s still no confirmed date for Orton’s in-ring return (if it ever happens,) but WWE may already have a plan.
When RK-Bro formed in 2021, the initial plan was for Orton to betray Riddle and have a match at SummerSlam 2021.
Given the team’s popularity with fans, WWE held off on the turn, with the match postponed until WrestleMania 38, but the break up was again postponed.
Riddle hasn’t appeared for WWE since last December after suspending the promotion’s wellness policy.
WWE’s Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships would have likely never been unified had it not been for Randy Orton’s injury.
The two titles were unified less than a year ago when The Usos (SmackDown) defeated RK-Bro (Raw) on the May 20, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX.
Since then, the Usos have retained against the likes of the Banger Bros., the Brawling Brutes, the New Day and the Street Profits
Unifying
The titles being unified came as a surprise to fans, as WWE hurried into making the two tag titles into one championship.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained WWE’s original plans had Randy Orton not gone down with an injury.
“The tag titles were not going to be unified, and then… that’s when Randy Orton’s career almost ended.
“Riddle and Orton were just gonna stay at as the Raw champions… So without Riddle and Orton, RK-BRO, who are a hot team…they just went with The Usos to hold both belts.”
Dave Meltzer.
The Viper has not competed since the unification match due to a severe back injury with concerns growing that he could be finished in the ring.
Has Randy Orton’s incredible professional wrestling career come to an unfortunate end?
That’s certainly what some people believe, with the Viper spending most of this year out with a back injury suffered in May.
Orton’s most recent match saw him and Riddle lose the Raw Tag Team Championships to The Usos in the title-unification match with the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Listen to the Experts
When Orton was moved to SmackDown in 2005, he worked with Teddy Long, the on-screen general manager of the blue brand.
Orton would work with Long again when he was redrafted to SmackDown in 2011.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling, Long discussed Orton’s future, calling the former WWE World Champion a good friend of his.
“Randy Orton, a great friend of mine, too, had a lot of great times with him there. I just hope Randy makes the right decision, you know. There are people like Edge, Kurt Angle, that said [sic] they wouldn’t come back once they found out they had injuries and the doctors told them it’d be dangerous for them to return to the ring.”
Later in the interview, Long again expressed the importance of listening to medical experts.
“I just hope Randy does the right thing. If the doctors tell you to stay out of the ring, I suggest you stay out of the ring.”
Teddy Long.
Original Plans
Orton’s injury is much worse than what WWE had first feared, and there had been plans for the Legend Killer to have returned by now.
In June, it was reported that the company’s plan for Summerslam would have seen Orton challenge Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Of course, that didn’t happen, and Reigns instead faced Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing match, promoted as the final collision between the two.
‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton Jr. has commented on his son’s recovery as Randy Orton has been out of action and off WWE TV since May.
Last week, it was reported that Orton had fusion surgery on his lower back. When exactly Orton had the surgery done is unknown, although there’s no word on how long it will be for Orton to recover from the procedure.
Randy’s father talked about his son’s recovery while doing a virtual signing for K & S WrestleFest and stated that Randy is ‘coming along,’ and he’ll be back in the ring.
The Update
“He’s [Randy Orton] coming along. I see him maybe once a week or so. But he’s coming along. He’ll be back in there before you know it.”
Regarding who he’d like to see Randy face when he comes back, the former WWE star named Cody Rhodes as a potential opponent and added that he used to wrestle Dusty Rhodes a lot.
“I think Cody [Rhodes versus Randy] would be a hell of a match. I wrestled Dusty a lot of times so, might as well keep it ongoing [Bob smiled].”
Bob did state that he would be open to the idea of becoming an on-screen character again if Randy asked him to, as he would enjoy doing something and working with his child.
Fans shouldn’t expect to see Randy Orton return and perform inside of a WWE ring anytime soon due to a back injury.
The former WWE Champion has been out of action since late May when he and RKBro teammate Matt Riddle dropped the Raw Tag Team Championships to The Usos, who were the SmackDown Tag Team Champions and now Unified Champions. WWE later wrote him off television in an attack angle.
At the time, Orton reportedly had a “significant” injury, and was expected out for a few months and then later the rest of the year.
Injury Update
Randy Orton has undergone a fusion in his lower back that would keep him out of action for an extended period of time. Orton’s wife recently posted a photo of him in a hospital bed, which got fans concerned about the timeframe for his return.
Back fusion surgery is very serious business and could keep him out of action for an extended period of time. At 42 years old, he’s already in the later stages of his in-ring career.
Orton remains under contract with WWE through 2024, although the company could ‘freeze’ the contract due to his prolonged hiatus.
Kurt Angle has provided a health update on Randy Orton, who has not been on WWE television since May, when The Usos defeated RK-Bro in a unification title match on an episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
Orton was attacked by The Bloodline to be written off television following the match. WWE anticipated the back injury would require surgery and force him to miss the rest of the year.
Orton’s back injury is so serious that he would have had to retire if he didn’t undergo surgery. The latest word was in September when it was reported that there was a lot of concern about the severity of Orton’s back injury.
In Angle’s Own Words
This is according to Angle, who said the following on the latest episode of the Kurt Angle Show.
“Your back controls everything. You can’t do anything when your back is hurting. I’ll give you an example. Randy Orton just had surgery on his back. He literally couldn’t do anything, and this surgery is hopefully saving his career. But that’s how much back problems can affect you as a pro wrestler,” Angle said.
Last week, Orton was spotted in Birmingham, Alabama, where WWE often sends talents for surgery or rehab.
Randy Orton has been a top star in WWE since 2004 after being paired with Triple H, Batista, and Ric Flair in Evolution, but he has missed the majority of 2022 due to a back issue.
Orton has not been on WWE television since May, when The Usos defeated RK-Bro in a unification title match on an episode of Friday Night SmackDown. Orton was attacked by The Bloodline to be written off television following the match.
Initially, WWE anticipated the back injury would require surgery and force him to miss the rest of the year. It had not been confirmed that Orton underwent the knife.
Randy Orton Update
(via WWE)
Orton was spotted in Birmingham, Alabama this week which is typically where WWE sends its wrestlers to get surgery. As it turns out, Orton was hospitalized for an undisclosed procedure.
“If y’all only knew why this pic was taken”
As seen below, Kim wrote a touching message about their relationship.
“7 wonderful years with the man of my dreams. You’re bat shit crazy (but so am I) I trust you, and you trust me ?? we could conquer the fucking world together (if we feel like it) but for now I just want you to be my daddy and me to be your momma and raise our beautiful children together as one big happy family. FAMILY??LOVE??LOYALTY?? we have that tattooed on our bodies because it’s the most important thing to us. ME, YOU, OUR FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS, that’s all that matters. Thank you for loving me the way you do.”
WWE and their gaming partner 2K are appealing a courtroom defeat over the use of Randy Orton’s tattoos in video games.
In April 2018, artist Catherine Alexander filed the suit, alleging that she was not properly reimbursed for the use of tattoos on the Viper’s body used in gaming.
In 2015, Alexander submitted applications to register copyrights on each of the tattoos she inked on the former World Champion’s body.
The Appeal
Last month, after years of delays thanks in part to the Covid-19 pandemic, a jury ruled in Alexander’s favor.
WWE had argued that the tattoos came under ‘fair use,’ and were necessary to depict Orton in video games.
Despite the lengthy case, Alexander was awarded just $3,750 in damages.
Cena’s thriving Hollywood career has kept him away from the ring, with his most recent televised match taking place all the way back at Summerslam 2021.
John Cena has faced some of wrestling’s biggest names at WrestleMania, including Bray Wyatt, The Rock, the Big Show, and Shawn Michaels, but who is next for Big Match John?
4 – Austin Theory
Is the long-rumored Cena-Theory match destined to happen at WrestleMania?
To many people, the most obvious choice for WWE, a match between Cena and Theory makes a lot of sense.
It was earlier this year that the two teased a feud, with both men throwing shade at one another on social media.
At the time, fans predicted that a match at Summerslam 2022 was bound to happen, likely for the U.S. Title Theory held earlier this year.
That of course didn’t happen, and while he’s confident the Cena match will come in time, Theory has been on a downward spiral since then, recently failing in his Money in the Bank cash-in attempt.
At just 25 years old, Theory is a star WWE could get a lot out of for years, possibly decades to come, but they need to have that big win.
A match with Cena would be a fantastic mix of generations, and if Theory was to get the win, would set the cocky heel back on track on his road to the main event.
3 – Logan Paul
Logan Paul wowed fans with his gutsy performance against Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel 2022.
Fans may love him or hate him, but there’s no denying Logan Paul’s talent in the ring.
In just three matches, Paul has shown that he can hang with full-time WWE Superstars, and he could soon be sharing the ring with John Cena.
Cena’s thriving Hollywood career and Paul consistent YouTube fame would guarantee the match mainstream exposure, something WWE always wants, especially for WrestleMania.
The story would not need to be too complex, and while WWE could go with a heel Paul disrespecting the legend, the feud would also work as face vs. face.
It could be as simple as Paul saying that he wants to prove himself by facing the best, and boom! John Cena storyline, and Paul recently tweeted interest in the match.
The big question however is Paul’s recent injuries, which are expected to keep him out for the foreseeable future, and could force him to miss WrestleMania.
With that said, Cena himself became known for recovering from injuries at a near super-human rate, and if Paul can match that, then this unlikely dream match is a possibility.
2 – Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER
2022 has been the year of the Austrian powerhouse GUNTHER, who could have a war with John Cena.
As anyone who watches SmackDown will know, 2022 has been the year of GUNTHER.
Debuting on the blue brand earlier this year, the Austrian quickly captured the Intercontinental Championship and has held on to it with an iron grip.
Of course, GUNTHER’s rise to prominence has come during Cena’s hiatus from wrestling, but a match between the two would be a spectacle.
The clash of styles alone would make this a potential Match of the Night, and the story would play into Imperium’s quest for respect for wrestling.
This match is more than wishful thinking, however, as like Paul, GUNTHER has also addressed rumors of a match, and is all for facing Big Match John.
Should he hold the Intercontinental title that long, there would also be the possibility of John Cena finally winning the gold and becoming a Grand Slam Champion, one of a select few accolades not on his resume.
GUNTHER’s title reign has done wonders to bring prestige back to the Intercontinental Championship, and having the biggest star of the past two decades would certainly add to that.
1 – Randy Orton
It’s been over five years since the two veterans faced off. Will WrestleMania 39 mark the end of one of WWE’s biggest feuds?
All matches so far are never before seen bouts, but what if WWE wants an opponent Cena is VERY familiar with?
Holmes and Moriarty. Batman and The Joker. Some opponents are made for each other. Orton and Cena are such a pair.
Fans may groan at the idea of seeing YET ANOTHER Cena-Orton match, but bear in mind that it’s been five years since their last bout, and close to nine years since their last match at a Premium Live Event.
Cena and Orton are two of WWE’s biggest stars, and a rematch (especially one billed as their final collision) is worthy of WrestleMania.
But there’s another reason why this match makes sense for WrestleMania 39: Time.
As we’ve seen, Cena isn’t around as much these days, and it’s not impossible to think that WrestleMania 39 could be the last time he competes at WWE’s flag-ship show.
There’s also questions that need to be raised about Orton, who’s missed most of 2022 with an injury, and is expected to miss the rest of this year.
If WWE wants one final epic Cena-Orton match, then the window of opportunity is closing, and WrestleMania 39 could be a fitting send-off for one of the biggest feuds in wrestling.
We now have some idea of what WWE had planned for Randy Orton upon his return from injury.
Orton has been out-of-action for the past several months since he and Matt Riddle’s RAW Tag Team Title reign ended. However, initially Orton wasn’t expected to be sidelined as long as he has.
According to a report from WrestleVotes, the initial plan for Orton was to return and immediately turn on Riddle, sparking a feud between the pair.
Of course, those plans were initiated back in May, when Vince McMahon was still the frontman of WWE. Since, McMahon has retired and Triple H has assumed creative responsibilities.
There’s a possibility that Triple H could decide to go in a different direction. As for Riddle, WrestleVotes speculated that WWE might not have anything for Riddle at the moment because Orton isn’t back.
(via WWE)
Shortly after concluding his feud with Seth Rollins, Riddle has been working with Elias on RAW, teaming up against Alpha Academy on Monday Night RAW.
It will be interesting to see what WWE decides to do with both Randy Orton and Riddle should he eventually return. There’s said to be a bit of worry about Orton’s injury and its severity given how long he’s been away.
The trial for the Randy Orton WWE 2K tattoo lawsuit is underway after being pushed back several times over the past couple of years.
In 2018, tattoo artist Catherine Alexander brought a lawsuit against WWE, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., 2K Games, Inc., 2K Sports, Inc., Visual Concepts Entertainment, Yuke’s Co., Ltd., and Yuke’s LA Inc.
She claims in the lawsuit that those parties have infringed on her copyright by using the tattoo work she did on Orton in video games without her permission. She performed the tattoo work on Orton between 2003 and 2008. Although Orton is not a defendant in the case, he does have a part to play as a witness.
The Trial
The trial officially began this past Monday, September 26. Pwinsider reported today that Orton testified as a witness on Wednesday, September 28.
It’s a notable case as the result will set s a legal precedent when it comes to the usage of people’s tattoos in video games.
Orton hasn’t appeared on WWE TV since the May 20th episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, where he and Matt Riddle lost to The Usos. Orton had to get some work done on his back to get through the match. As previously reported, the feeling is that his back is so bad that he may have to get surgery, which would keep him out of action for the rest of 2022.
From his decades in wrestling, working in WCW, WWE and TNA/Impact Wrestling, Eric Bischoff knows about coming up with creative ideas.
It was Bischoff who played a pivotal role in the forming of the New World Order in WCW, the effects of the group still being felt to this day.
Years later, Bischoff would be credited as the mind behind the Elimination Chamber: a cross of several stipulation matches including Hell in a Cell and War Games.
Ending the Viper
Bischoff isn’t tied to any one promotion at the moment but is ready to return to WWE if he gets the call.
During an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff was asked about which Superstar he’d like to write for and didn’t hesitate in choosing Randy Orton (via Sportskeeda.)
“I would like to be on the team to write Randy Orton’s retirement story, like there’s going to be a point in time when Randy’s ready to cash it in.
“I’d love to be on the team to write that one Randy Orton you know we haven’t seen a lot of them lately, you know he kind of comes in and comes out.”
Orton has been out since May recovering from an injury, and is expected to be out for the rest of the year.
The End of Orton’s Career
Earlier this year, Randy Orton reached 20 years since his main roster debut on the April 25, 2002 SmackDown.
In that time, Orton has become a multi-time World Champion, Grand Slam winner, two-time Royal Rumble winner, and Money in the Bank winner.
Riddle has provided an injury update on his tag team partner Randy Orton.
Orton has been dealing with a back injury and hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since he and Riddle lost a Winner Takes All WWE Undisputed Tag Team Title bout to The Usos on SmackDown Live back in May.
He’s expected to miss the remainder of 2022 with the injury. Recently, Riddle was a guest on ProSieben MAXX, where he provided an injury update on his tag team partner.
“Randy (Orton) is still recovering from his injuries and hopefully he’ll be back sooner than later. I can’t give more of an update because I’m not a doctor and I don’t have one so, but I know Randy’s in high spirits for sure and he’s doing well.”
Riddle In Singles Competition
As for Riddle, he’s currently slated for a big one-on-one matchup with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. Riddle has been able to get his career as a singles star kickstarted since Orton’s absence.
He even got a shot at Roman Reigns and the Undisputed WWE Championship, although he came up just short. It will be interesting to see if Riddle and Orton reform RK-Bro should “The Viper” return to in-ring action after his back injury heals up.
It had been reported that there were plans in place for a big WWE Undisputed Universal Title match at SummerSlam but some changes are likely in order.
Backup Plan For Roman Reigns’ Opponent
(via WWE)
WWE had been targeting a title match between WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Randy Orton for SummerSlam. Fightful has reported that WWE now fears that Orton’s back injury could keep him out for the remainder of 2022.
Orton may need surgery.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE does have a backup plan in the event Orton can’t go. It’s noted that the backup plan is not Riddle.
Roman is scheduled to put his gold on the line against Riddle on the June 17 episode of WWE SmackDown. If Riddle loses, then he can never challenge Roman for the championship again.
Several of the company’s top Superstars are currently off television for a variety of reasons. Roman Reigns is appearing less frequently. Brock Lesnar has been absent since WrestleMania 38. Cody Rhodes just had pectoral surgery. Sasha Banks is reportedly gone from the company and now it appears Randy Orton won’t be seen any time soon, either.
Randy Orton Injury Update
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select was the first to report that WWE fears Orton will be out of action for the rest of the year, a huge blow to the company.
Orton last competed on the May 20th edition of SmackDown, teaming with Riddle in a losing effort to The Usos in the tag title Unification match.
On the following Raw, Riddle revealed that Orton has been working through serious injuries and could “barely walk” prior to the tag title unification match.
Unfortunately, Orton’s physical ailments are legitimate. According to the Fightful report, Orton needed to “have work done” in order for him to be able to compete in the tag title unification match. Things have gotten worse since then and there’s fear he will be forced to undergo back surgery.
Randy Orton isn’t factored into creative plans for WWE at the moment, after being slated for a huge role this summer.
– Fightful Select
A Change of Plans
Losing Orton for the rest of the year could not come at a worse time for WWE which is already missing several major players.
It had been reported that Orton was the planned opponent for Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Summerslam, but that match is seemingly off now.
With Reigns not competing at Money in the Bank, WWE will want to have a match featuring the “Tribal Chief” at their biggest party of the Summer.
Though Drew McIntyre remains active on the roster, he has already called out Reigns for a match at September’s Clash at the Castle event.
There will be a big fight feel for this year’s SummerSlam event when it comes to one title match.
WWE SummerSlam will take place inside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on July 30. Some big names are expected for the show.
Many anticipate the likes of Roman Reigns, Ronda Rousey, Charlotte, and potentially Brock Lesnar to appear. With this being a stadium show and one of WWE’s biggest events of the year, the heavy hitters will be out in full force.
Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton
(via WWE)
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that Roman Reigns is currently set to put the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the line against Randy Orton at SummerSlam.
WWE has been running an injury storyline with Orton. The story told by WWE is that Orton could barely walk ahead of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Title match against The Usos on the May 20 episode of SmackDown.
Sports Illustrated recently reported that Reigns isn’t scheduled to be on the Money in the Bank card. If that plan sticks, then Roman’s next title defense will likely be against Orton instead of Riddle.
The SmackDown brand has been feeling the effects of Roman’s new WWE deal in recent weeks. The new contract allows Reigns to work fewer dates and his absence has been noticeable on the blue brand.
One WWE prospect has many thinking Randy Orton stepped into a time machine.
Randy Orton has become a legend in the wrestling business. He is a surefire WWE Hall of Famer once he decides to call it a career.
Much like Edge and Chris Jericho, Orton is one of the best at adapting as time goes along. No matter what year it is, Orton always remains a top-level performer.
With that said, there’s a new WWE talent who pretty much looks like a 2004 version of Orton.
His name is David Bostian and he recently made his in-ring debut for WWE.
Bostian performed at the June 7 taping for this week’s NXT Level Up episode, which will air this Friday. Bostian went by the name, “Myles Borne” and he took on Guru Raaj.
Time will tell if Bostian can develop quick enough for WWE’s liking.
There is reportedly a new edict where if NXT talents aren’t improving enough within a six-month window, they will be released.
WWE has given an injury update on Randy Orton and it’s not good.
During the May 27 episode of WWE SmackDown, the commentary team announced that Orton is meeting with neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons due to a lingering back issue.
“INJURY UPDATE Randy Orton is currently undergoing consultations with neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons to determine the extent of his injury and to recommended course of treatment.”
There has been no word on whether or not this back injury is legit or part of a storyline.
On the May 23 episode of WWE Raw, Riddle opened the show and was quite emotional discussing Orton’s status. He claimed there’s a real possibility that RK-Bro is done.
Riddle ended up enlisting the help of Shinsuke Nakamura to attack The Usos in the opening segment of WWE SmackDown. During his backstage interview, Riddle said he had Orton’s blessing to team with Nakamura.
SEScoops will keep you posted once more details on this story becomes available.
He told the WWE Universe that Randy Orton had back problems going into the tag team title unification match, which was held on the May 20 episode of SmackDown. The Usos ended up winning all the gold thanks to assistance from Roman Reigns.
Riddle went as far as to say Orton was barely able to walk ahead of the match. He then said he doesn’t know about the future of RK-Bro due to Orton’s lingering issues.
Interesting Riddle saying he does not know if RK-Bro will ever be a thing again. #WWERaw
— Tim Jarrell of PWUnlimited (@TimmyBuddy) May 24, 2022
"@RandyOrton's been having a really hard time with his back lately. Before our Tag Team Title Match, he could barely walk. I knew Randy wouldn't let me down because he knew how much it went to me. And he knew how much it meant to you."@SuperKingofBros#WWERawpic.twitter.com/GyWKpThw7A
“Randy’s been having a really hard time with his back lately. Before our Tag Team Title Match, he could barely walk. I knew Randy wouldn’t let me down because he knew how much it went to me. And he knew how much it meant to you.”
Of course, this could be a part of the storyline between The Bloodline and RK-Bro. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer had reported last week that Roman Reigns is expected to take on Randy Orton either at Money in The Bank or Summerslam.
Reigns is also internally set to meet Riddle one-on-one at some point in July. It’s important to note that these plans are not set in stone.
It appears the next direction for Roman Reigns has been revealed.
Reigns is the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion but he doesn’t have a one-on-one feud at this time. He’s been propping up The Usos on their journey to become Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.
With that said, WWE may have clued us in on the next singles match for the “Tribal Chief.” On the May 13 episode of SmackDown, Riddle of RK-Bro nailed Reigns with a knee to the jaw to close the show.
Next Three Opponents For Roman Reigns?
(via WWE)
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that there is talk of booking Roman Reigns against Riddle at Money in the Bank on July 2.
Reigns is expected to win that match and go on to face Randy Orton at WWE Summerslam on July 30.
Then there’s the big stadium show in Cardiff, Wales on Sept. 3. Right now, the word is that Reigns will finally collide with Drew McIntyre one-on-one at WWE Clash at the Castle.
Reigns reportedly signed a new deal with WWE for fewer dates. As a result, he isn’t expected to have a match at the Hell in a Cell premium live event on June 5.
Orton was noticeably absent from the show, which opened up with his RAW Tag Team Champion partner, Matt Riddle, who faced Jimmy Uso in the opening bout. WWE’s commentary team noted that Orton wasn’t there due to a “family commitment.”
Per a report from Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.com, Orton was actually representing WWE at the FOX upfronts in New York. For those of you who don’t know, upfronts are events held for advertisers and media by network executives at the beginning of important advertising sales periods.
In Orton’s absence, Riddle was able to beat Jimmy Uso, giving RK-Bro some big momentum heading into their title unification bout against The Usos on SmackDown Live this week. RK-Bro will put their RAW Tag Titles on the line against The Usos and their SmackDown Tag Titles.
It will be a winner takes all affair this Friday night for a match that has been built up for weeks. On the opposite side, The Bloodline, led by WWE Unified Champion Roman Reigns, have been dominating WWE.
Now that Reigns holds both the Universal Title and WWE Title, he wants his cousins to become dual champions in honor of The Bloodline as well.
It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out this weekend, and if new unified champions are, in fact, crowned when it’s all said and done.
WWE is reportedly still planning on having a title unification match for the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships but does not plan on unifying the titles.
At WrestleMania Backlash, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and Roman Reigns defeated Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre in what was originally announced to be a tag title unification match.
It was later reported that WWE had always planned for a six-man tag at the Premium Live Event.
On this week’s Raw, Randy Orton and Riddle said they will still unify the titles and will appear on this Friday’s SmackDown.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said WWE is building to a title unification match, but this will not actually see one team hold both titles (via WrestleTalk).
“They are going to do the match, but as of right now, and I was also told this can change, but, they are not planning on actually unifying the titles.”
Dave Meltzer
Meltzer speculated that WWE could use a DQ finish to avoid unifying the titles in a title unification match.
WWE’s Empty Promises
Brock Lesnar had been advertised for WrestleMania Backlash but never booked for the show, in one of the growing number of broken promises by the company.
Should WWE go through with this plan, not unifying the titles would be the latest in a string of empty promises by the promotion.
Before WrestleMania Backlash, it had been announced that the titles would be unified despite WWE never having any plans to do that at the time.
WrestleMania Backlash had featured promotional material of Brock Lesnar, who not only did not appear at last Sunday’s event but had never been booked for the show.
During this same edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer stated that while Roman Reigns has been confirmed for upcoming Premium Live Events including Money in the Bank, Summerslam, and Clash in the Castle, there’s no guarantee he’ll appear.
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Randy Orton has said he has experienced “meltdowns and breakdowns” in front of company Chairman Vince McMahon.
The 14-time WWE World Champion and McMahon have worked closely both behind the scenes and on-screen, even having a match on the April 6, 2009 Raw which ended in a no contest.
While speaking to Metro, Orton discussed his relationship with his boss:
”He’s seen me in dark periods where I’ve had meltdowns and breakdowns in front of him. I’ve beat my head against the wall in front of him, as a 25-year-old man just emotional f***** – ‘Arrrr!’ – not knowing how to express myself. He’s witnessed that in close quarters. I think he sees a little bit of my crazy in him – even if it’s just a little bit.
“From an early age when I was f****** up like that, I think it almost made him want to nurture that part of me. We’ve grown together in that regard, so now our conversations are a lot different. If I knock on his door, peek my head in, nine out of 10 times, no matter who’s in there he’ll tell them to f**** off so I can come in and talk to him. Which is pretty cool, you know?”
Last month, Orton celebrated the 20th anniversary of his WWE main roster debut on the April 25, 2022 Raw.
Orton will team with Riddle and Drew McIntyre to face Roman Reigns and The Usos at WrestleMania-Backlash.
WrestleMania-Backlash will take place this Sunday at the Dunkin Donuts Center, in Providence, Rhode Island.
Riddle couldn’t have asked for a better mentor to take his WWE career to next level than Randy Orton. The Apex Predator has gone through many of the phases the former UFC star went through early in his WWE journey. Randy also got into trouble and upset many veterans early on before growing up and earning the respect of his peers. Now he is using that experience to help the young star navigate the waters in WWE.
RK Bro spoke to Give Me Sport during WWE’s UK tour. When asked what he has learned from the Legend Killer, Riddle mentioned how Randy has been helping him understand the landscape of WWE:
“What haven’t I learned? You know, I feel like I’ve learned a lot about the business side of things and handling myself. Not just in the world of wrestling but in the world of WWE. Because I feel like each promotion, each company I’ve worked for kinda has a different landscape. From the UFC to the WWE, to the independence scene and everywhere.
I feel like he’s really helped me guide through the waters as smoothly as possible. At least for me because I kind of ruffle feathers all the time. He’s been helping me out a lot with that.”
“And of course, in ring ability, just watching Randy every night do what Randy does best, you are gonna get better. Your timing is gonna get better, your confidence is gonna go up. Your swagger goes up on the microphone, everything goes up.
From day one to day now, at least from my point of view it’s night and day. The transition and changes I have made. And I would say maybe, from outside looking in, it’s harder to see. From being on the inside looking out, it’s night and day like I said. My job has gotten drastically easier and more fun working with this guy.”
