New details have emerged regarding the Night One main event of WrestleMania 42 Saturday, indicating that Randy Orton was at one point planned to leave the show as Undisputed WWE Champion.
As seen at WrestleMania 42, Cody Rhodes retained the title in a physical and bloody match. However, reports from BodySlam+ state that Orton had originally been scheduled to win the championship before WWE made a late change to the finish in the weeks leading up to the event.
Fightful Select also noted there was “heavy consideration” given to putting the title on Orton, further supporting that a different outcome had been discussed internally before plans shifted.
Despite the loss, Orton closed the show standing tall after delivering a punt kick to Rhodes. The moment saw Orton holding the Undisputed WWE Championship over a fallen Rhodes, signaling that the rivalry between the two is far from finished.
According to the report, WWE always planned for the feud between the former Legacy stablemates to continue beyond WrestleMania. The post-match attack reinforced that direction and positioned Orton strongly heading into the next phase of the storyline.
There has also been speculation surrounding Orton’s condition heading into the match. As previously reported, he was believed to be dealing with an injury before WrestleMania, which could have played a role in the decision to change plans. However, no official confirmation has been provided regarding his status.
Rhodes did not leave the match unscathed. He reportedly suffered an orbital socket injury during the bout, leaving his eye swollen shut. He also required stitches and staples following the match and the attack that followed.
WWE later confirmed during the Night Two pre-show that Rhodes was not medically cleared, leading to the cancellation of his scheduled appearances at WWE World.
With the rivalry continuing and a major change in plans already confirmed, attention now turns to what comes next for both Rhodes and Orton following WrestleMania 42.
Randy Orton Was Originally Set To Win Title At WrestleMania 42
WA on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wrestlingattitude/
WA on Facebook (Women's Wrestling) - https://www.facebook.com/WrestlingDivas/
WA on X/Twitter - https://x.com/wa_wrestling
WA on Instagram (Women's Wrestling) - https://www.instagram.com/wa_wrestlingattitude/
WA on Google News - https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMJf3owsw2oG8Aw
WA on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/wrestlingattitude.bsky.social
