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Randy Orton Issues Open Challenge For WWE WrestleMania 41 With Returning Star Unlikely To Answer

Randy Orton will have a match this Sunday at WWE WrestleMania 41, but we won't know his opponent until just before the bell rings.
Rick Ucchino|
The Viper is back for WrestleMania 41
The Viper is back for WrestleMania 41 | WWE.com

The Viper will be at WrestleMania 41 and he fully plans on having a match.

Randy Orton made a special appearance on Friday's episode of WrestleMania SmackDown and passionately declared that he will be at Allegiant Stadium Sunday night.

The multi-time World Champion told the Las Vegas crowd that he will walk out to the ring. He will have his gear on and he will have just the right amount of baby oil on his body. His words, not mine.

Anyone who wants a piece of the Apex Predator on the 'Grandest Stage of Them All' just needs to meet him in the middle of the ring.

Orton was originally supposed to face Kevin Owens in his 20th career WrestleMania match, but Owens recently announced that he needs neck surgery and that doctors would not clear him to compete this weekend.

The Open Challenge creates some intrigue and suspense for the second night of WrestleMania 41 and any number of Superstars could answer the call.

One person who apparently won't be facing Orton is Aleister Black, formerly known as Malakai Black in AEW. Another smoke filled vignette aired Friday night, with this one showcasing the date of next week's episode of SmackDown.

If the vignette's are indeed for Black, then it stands to reason that the re-debut of the former NXT Champion won't come until next week.

One name to watch out for is Miro. The man formerly known as Rusev recently re-signed with WWE and has reportedly been spotted in Las Vegas this week, along with his wife CJ Perry.

General Manger Nick Aldis was the heavy favorite to get the spot heading to Friday's episode of SmackDown, according to most betting sites which have calculated those odds.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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