WWE’s Scrapped Plans for Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42

This past Saturday’s WWE WrestleMania 42 Night 1 event in Las Vegas, Nevada featured Cody Rhodes defeating Randy Orton to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. This match and build was notable for Orton having Pat McAfee in his corner after McAfee had made his surprise return and turned heel on Rhodes in the weeks prior to the show.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that WWE’s original pitch for Orton’s role at WrestleMania 42 back in this past January involved Aleister Black being the one tyring to being out the old “Apex Predator” version of Orton.

Johnson reported that the idea involved Black tormenting Orton and if he succeeded, it would prove that Orton had never changed or evolved and was still the old Orton deep inside.

Johnson also reported that this idea would have also involved Black and Orton facing off against each other at WrestleMania weekend with Orton would hesitate to use his punt kick and likely lose the match. Orton would then later attack Rhodes as a WrestleMania angle and using the punt to bring back the “Apex Predator” and prove Black was right all along.

Johnson reported that it is currently not known how far this pitch had progressed through WWE’s creative process but some of the original plan ended up appearing in McAfee’s role including the return of the “Apex Predator” and Orton punting Rhodes at WrestleMania 42.

In regards to WWE’s plans for the Orton vs. Rhodes match at WrestleMania 42, Figthful Select reported that their sources stated that Orton had been heavily considered within WWE at one point to win the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42. It was reported that those plans were changed in the weeks leading to the show with Rhodes keeping his title instead.

BodySlam+ reported that their sources also confirmed that Orton had been planned to win the Undisputed WWE title before the plans were changed. It was reported that WWE officials knew that the feud between Orton and Rhodes was going to continue which was the reason for the post-match beatdown by Orton using his punt kick move.