Randy Orton has been at the top of WWE for longer than most of us care to remember, and you have to imagine that'll continue to be the case for many years to come. He may move to a part-time schedule or he could keep going as he has been, but one thing is for sure: he has plenty of WrestleManias ahead of him.
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Today, we want to run through five notable stars that we're confident will meet The Viper at some point on the grandest stage of them all — and five who, in our mind, won't get that opportunity.
10 WILL FACE - Matt Riddle (WrestleMania 37)
These two have had a slight back and forth on social media as of late, but in the mind of many, that really isn’t enough proof to justify the pair having a great match together.
Instead, just base it off of how good both men are at their craft. They’re incredibly skilled performers and the scariest part is that we probably haven’t even seen half of what Matt Riddle can do in the ring. He’d really be able to get under Randy’s skin, and we’d love to see those promos.
9 WON’T FACE - The Rock
We’ve actually seen these two compete against one another before, back at WrestleMania 20, but a handicap match can’t really compare to the singles classic that would almost certainly ensue if they squared off.
Orton actually challenged The Great One to a match at Mania a few months back, but it just didn’t seem as if that was ever a realistic possibility. The promos would be great, the match would be incredibly crisp, and it’d be a unique feud. Unfortunately, there’s too much red tape in the way for it to happen.
8 WILL FACE - Tommaso Ciampa (WrestleMania 38)
These two are both known for playing psychotic roles, and together, they could create some real magic. Orton is as weird as they come, whereas Ciampa can also go to some pretty dark places when he’s got the right opponent in front of him. We like the idea of Blackheart going out of his way to torture Orton, attempting to intimidate him in the process.
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Randy definitely won’t be bulletproof in a feud like this, but maybe, just maybe, he can maintain the kind of form that we’ve been seeing from him during his recent feud with Edge.
7 WON’T FACE - Finn Balor
Finn Balor is an exceptional talent, but we just haven’t seen WWE utilize him in the way that we’d all have hoped. At this stage, it honestly feels like it makes more sense for him to jump ship to All Elite Wrestling – or go back to New Japan.
Balor vs Orton would be a money feud if we’ve ever seen one, but it’s a long way away from ever happening. It doesn’t even really need to be for the title, either, because both guys are good enough to tell a story without it having to revolve around a belt.
6 WILL FACE - Triple H (WrestleMania 39)
We’ve spoken an awful lot about Triple H having an official retirement match, and maybe this can be it. Randy Orton probably isn’t his most notable rival, but he’s definitely in the top three. They’ve had many wars against one another, including in the main event of WrestleMania 25, and we’d be intrigued to see them lock horns again all these years later.
Orton can once again revert back to being The Legend Killer, putting the final nail in the coffin of the man that first put him on the map.
5 WON’T FACE - Ricochet
Orton vs Ricochet isn’t necessarily a feud that people are knocking down Vince McMahon’s door in order to see, but it is certainly a feud that would produce some amazing moments.
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The technical ability of Orton against the insane high-flying ability of Ricochet makes for a dream match that few could’ve imagined would happen even five years ago. It probably won’t ever go down at the show of shows, but it should, if only because it has the potential to produce the greatest RKO of all time. We all know it’s true.
4 WILL FACE - Austin Theory (WrestleMania 40)
Austin Theory looks like the lovechild of Finn Balor and Randy Orton, and now that he’s being utilized as a heel on the main roster, it feels like just a matter of time before he steps up and takes on Orton.
We think it’ll take a few years for him to ascend to the heights of facing Randy on the grandest stage of them all, but even if it does take a while to happen, it’ll be more than worth the wait. At a landmark event like WrestleMania 40, you simply have to feature a passing of the torch match such as this one.
3 WON’T FACE - Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns and Randy Orton have had their fair share of wars, with Reigns’ initial feud with The Viper seemingly being set up as a way to get him over in preparation for his promotion to the main event scene.
It’d be great to revisit that all these years later, but WWE probably doesn’t want to risk it blowing up in their faces. The matches they had with one another were good, but they probably weren’t quite good enough to lead us all to believe that they can put on a classic at the show of shows.
2 WILL FACE - John Cena (WrestleMania 41)
It was supposed to be the Austin vs Rock of their generation, and yet, they’ve never had a one on one match at WrestleMania. By the time Mania 41 rolls around in 2025, both men will be on the verge of a real retirement from the business.
So then, why not decide who is the better wrestler once and for all in one final showdown between them. The build-up can be full of some truly historic promos, which we all know Cena and Orton are more than capable of delivering.
1 WON’T FACE - Keith Lee
Keith Lee tearing through anyone is entertaining, and that includes Orton – probably because we all know he would sell as he has never sold before for the big guy.
Alas, if and when Lee is promoted to the WrestleMania main card, we feel as if it’s much more likely that WWE will throw some different bouts at him. From a battle with Brock Lesnar to some kind of tussle with Braun Strowman, you get the idea of what we think the future has in store for Lee. With their contrasting styles, though, this match-up would definitely work.
