As everyone knows, Randy Orton 'lost' his opponent just before WrestleMania 41. The biggest show on the WWE calendar was supposed to be the venue for his showdown with Kevin Owens, who had resulted in his serious injury in the latter part of last year.
However, the Canadian veteran suffered a serious neck injury a few weeks before the 'Showcase of the Immortals' and had to announce his absence in Las Vegas at WWE Universe leaving everyone speechless. KO will also be forced to undergo a delicate surgery and his absence from the ring is destined to be very long (at least 6-8 months).
After this terrible news, 'The Viper' - who had made his return during Elimination Chamber in early March - could not hold back his anger and took out on SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis in the last episodes of SmackDown ahead of Mania 41.
Randy Orton defeated Joe Hendry
The former world champion invited any opponent who dared to challenge him to come forward at the 'Showcase of the Immortals', wanting to shine at all costs in what could have been his last participation in the most important show of the year.
In the end, his opponent in Las Vegas was Joe Hendry. The latter gave his best in the ring, but was defeated by Randy after a fairly spectacular contest. After scoring a brilliant win, Randy seemed to want to celebrate Hendry's performance and lifted his arm before inflicting another violent RKO on him.
WELLLLLL... that didn't work 😂#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/ZKOxir8IZF
— WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2025
The 'Legend Killer' will be the protagonist in the second part of the season and his presence at Backlash – the federation's next PLE – scheduled for May 10 has already been announced. Although he has had numerous injuries in recent times, Randy is convinced that he can still give a lot to this business.