標籤: spoilers

Randy Orton is probably going into WrestleMania 42 in a worse situation than anyone thought.

According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Orton is currently dealing with physical issues that could impact the outcome of his WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes – and ultimately prevent WWE from placing the title on him, even if that’s the plan over the weekend.

The narrative around the match seemed to point strongly in one direction. During the April 10 episode of SmackDown, Pat McAfee gave a promo stating that if Orton failed to defeat Rhodes, he would walk away from WWE completely. This type of bet usually serves as a near-guarantee of the opposite outcome, leading most observers to conclude that Orton was walking out of Las Vegas as champion. Meltzer has accepted this in his report.

“Probably the most notable thing in the McAfee promo is that he said that if Randy Orton doesn’t defeat Cody Rhodes for the title, he will never do anything associated with WWE again. Obviously, that’s not happening. In fact, watching that promo, the only outcome that was almost completely clear is Orton winning.”

But Meltzer then introduced details that complicate that conclusion. “We were told that Orton was in pain, so there was a possibility that there would be a change, because there would be no point in Orton winning if he had to take time off, but McAfee’s statement came off as if it’s as close to a lock as possible.”

The logic is simple. Putting the WWE Championship on a performer who later has to step away from television creates problems for the visibility of the title and the programming built around it. Rhodes has been one of WWE’s most reliable constants at the top of the card, and after handing the belt to Orton he would disappear from the screen shortly after, weakening the championship momentum throughout this run.

That said, Meltzer’s report also states that WWE’s plans beyond WrestleMania still appear to involve Orton in an active role. A tag team match featuring Jelly Roll and Rhodes against McAfee and Orton remains in the books to headline Backlash in Tampa on May 9, which suggests WWE is not currently planning for Orton’s extended absence immediately following the event.