Randy Orton to retire WWE legend at WrestleMania 40 two decades after their last match? Exploring the possibility
Randy Orton could once again return to his Legend Killer persona for just one night at WrestleMania 40. The Viper has taken out many legends for good in the past, and he could do it one last time this year in Philadelphia.
The legend who could be standing opposite to The Viper is Goldberg. The WCW icon hasn't been seen since his loss to Roman Reigns more than two years ago and the subsequent expiry of his contract.
This match, if it does happen, is a win-win for every party involved in it. Orton could add another huge win to his resume. As for Goldberg, the former WCW champion always wanted a retirement bout, and this could be it. As for WWE, the bout will pit two legends in the ring and will draw the attention of the wrestling world.
The last time both superstars faced each other was in a singles match in August 2003. Back then, Goldberg was one of the biggest superstars in the industry. Meanwhile, Orton was still a prodigy in Evolution under the guidance of Ric Flair and Triple H. With the tables turned now, this match is one for the ages.
Royal Rumble main event was changed to protect Randy Orton?
Since his return to the company, the direction for Orton looked crystal clear as Orton vs Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship looked set to main event Royal Rumble. However, last week on WWE SmackDown, General Manager Nick Aldis announced Roman Reigns would defend his championship against Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and LA Knight in a Fatal Four-Way match after The Bloodline interfered in the number one contenders' bout.
While this is a blockbuster match and main event worthy, people are shocked as they expected it to be a singles match rather than a Fatal Four-Way. According to Dave Meltzer, this was done to protect Orton from losing this early in his return to the company.
"So the actual deal here is that the original idea was Roman [Reigns] and Randy Orton for the [Royal] Rumble," Meltzer said. "And essentially, there were parties involved who did not want to beat Randy Orton this early, obviously, and just felt that there's money to be made with Randy Orton and Roman in a program at some point, but it's too soon to do it."
One good thing is that the chances of Reigns and Orton in a singles feud are a high possibility. It remains to be seen when the bout can take place.