"It'll be the 20th time"- Randy Orton refuses to sit out at WrestleMania 41 on WWE SmackDown

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Apr 19, 2025, 09:21 IST

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Randy Orton, initially slated to face Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 41, refuses to be sidelined after Owens' neck surgery led to the cancellation of their match. Orton declared on SmackDown that he will be present at WrestleMania, ready to compete against any challenger.

"It'll be the 20th time"- Randy Orton refuses to sit out at WrestleMania 41 on WWE SmackDown

Credits: WWE

Randy Orton has refused to be left out of WrestleMania 41 after his original match was cancelled.
WrestleMania 41 is only one day away from kicking off the two-night extravagant festivities at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, one man, who originally had a match at the show, has refused to back down until he gets a replacement opponent. That man is Randy Orton, and he made a huge statement on the final SmackDown before WrestleMania 41.

Randy Orton will be at WrestleMania 41 for a match

Randy Orton came to the go-home edition of WWE SmackDown for WrestleMania 41 that took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Viper revealed that he met thousands of fans who had only one question on their mind: Will he compete at WrestleMania 41 or not? Orton heard everyone and claimed that he was not ready to let WrestleMania slip away without his presence inside the ring.
Moreover, Orton also revealed that if he gets his match at WrestleMania this weekend, it will be his 20th appearance at The Show of Shows in his illustrious career. Therefore, Randy Orton claimed that he would appear at the show wearing his wrestling gear on WrestleMania Sunday and be ready for a fight against any opponent sent his way. The Viper closed out the segment, claiming that whoever steps up to him will fall victim to the three most dangerous letters in sports entertainment, R-K-O.

Randy Orton was originally set to face Kevin Owens in a match at WrestleMania 41. However, two weeks ago, the PrizeFighter revealed that he needed neck surgery. Upon hearing this, Nick Aldis cancelled the match and told Orton that he would not have a match at WrestleMania 41. Orton did not take it well and nailed him with an RKO. Even last week, Orton made it clear that he refused to sit out of WrestleMania this year.
Now, on the final SmackDown before The Grandest Stage of Them All, Orton has set his sights on having a match. So it will be interesting to see if any WWE superstar would step up to WWE's Apex Predator and compete against him at WrestleMania 41.
Also read: WWE SmackDown Results & Highlights (4/18/25): Cody Rhodes & John Cena's final face-off, Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner crowned and more

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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