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Takedown Discussions: Who Will Face Randy Orton At WWE WrestleMania 41?

Randy Orton is now in need of an opponent for WrestleMania 41, but who will it be? Could SmackDown GM Nick Aldis lace up the boots for the first time in over a year or does WWE have someone else in mind?
Rick Ucchino|
Who will face Randy Orton at WrestleMania?
Who will face Randy Orton at WrestleMania? | WWE.com

We are just eight days away from the biggest wrestling show in the world and future WWE Hall of Famer Randy Orton no longer has a date to the dance.

Kevin Owens announced last Friday night on SmackDown that he will soon have to undergo neck surgery and will not be medically cleared to compete against The Viper at WrestleMania 41.

That puts WWE Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque in a tough situation as he has next to zero time to find a suitable replacement. We're here to help.

Check out this week's Takedown Discussions, which airs every Friday morning at 9 a.m. ET on The Takedown on SI YouTube Channel.

Zack Heydorn and Rick Ucchino have a full breakdown on all the logical choices to step in for Kevin Owens against Randy Orton. Including SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, who has now found himself the victim of two RKO's ever since Orton signed with the Blue Brand.

The former TNA World Champion and two-time NWA World Champion has not competed inside of a WWE ring since he joined the company nearly two years ago. He has strictly served as an on-screen authority figure, but that doesn't mean he can't go out and perform.

Aldis' last match came back on October 7, 2023 at ACW Bluegrass Con, but he has kept himself in great shape. He told Chris Van Vliet on Insight this past November that he doesn't feel the need to wrestle, but he'd always be ready if WWE found the desire to use him in the ring.

"If and when the time comes it'll be what they want, and it will hopefully be the right time. I just told them that if you want to do that, I'm ready."

Another option could be Carmelo Hayes. The former NXT Champion has impressed in the ring since his call up to the main roster, but has yet to really get an opportunity to shine on the grand stage. Melo had the chance to wrestle Orton a few weeks back and there's still some meat on the bone to put together a story ahead of next Saturday or Sunday.

There's also one other name that fans should watch out for when it comes to a potential surprise opponent for Randy Orton, but you'll have to check out the show to find out.

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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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