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Who should be in line to face Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33?
When the dust cleared in the 2017 Royal Rumble match, Randy Orton would be the last man standing. He eliminated Roman Reigns to pull off his second-ever Rumble win (the first came in 2009).
WWE seemed to indicate that Orton will be part of the WrestleMania 33 main event. This hadn’t been clear at first since WWE has two World titles and the ability to maneuver the Rumble winner around the match card in whichever scenario they want. However, it seems that the Viper is guaranteed a spot in the closing bout of the show.
There is still two-plus months until WrestleMania 33, so WWE has time in developing who Orton faces at the Show of Shows. Which WWE stars fit the bill for this and could face him with the WWE Championship potentially on the line?
There are a few options for this, all of whom are top stars on the SmackDown brand. This includes two former World champions and someone who the former Legend Killer is familiar with. Some potential opponents may be obvious, while others could have an outside chance of working with him at WrestleMania.
Just about anyone who Orton faces would make for an intriguing match for him to be involved in, even with WWE featuring him in WrestleMania main events before. The last one came in 2014 at WrestleManai 30 with his WWE World Heavyweight Championship defense against Batista and Daniel Bryan.
Who could Orton face in the main event of WrestleMania 33, potentially for the WWE Championship? Here are three possible opponents.
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5. Brock Lesnar
The last time we saw Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton in a WWE ring, blood was seen after about a half dozen elbows connected to the temple of the latter. It caused a TKO match finish, which then led to Lesnar F-5’ing Shane McMahon and seemingly teased a bout between them. Remember those days?
We never received a fitting conclusion to Lesnar vs. Orton on screen. So what about WWE going back to this at WrestleMania 33?
Last time they faced, no championship would be on the line, This time around, the Beast Incarnate could hold the Universal Championship and have Orton go after him for a second attempt. Since Kevin Owens holds this belt, Lesnar would have to take it away from him at Fastlane.
Two things hold this match back, however. Lesnar vs. Orton has been seen before, and in a main event of a show that produced a controversial result. So would WWE want to go back to this on an even bigger stage? The former UFC star is also likely set for a match with Goldberg at WrestleMania, especially after their encounter at the Royal Rumble and staredown afterward.
Orton and Lesnar have just about zero chance of facing each other. On the outside chance that WWE wants to revisit history, this could be an interesting draw.
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4. Goldberg
Goldberg seems like a bit out of an outlandish choice to face Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33. He’s a Raw Superstar and seems bound to battle Brock Lesnar on April 2. If, for some reason, this match does not happen, is it possible Orton makes his way to the Flagship Show for a cross-promotional feud with one of the biggest names?
Orton and Goldberg have been around each other before, as they were both in WWE during the latter’s first run in 2003 and 2004. However, they never had a match on a grand stage like WrestleMania. It would make for a star-studded match that could sell tickets as either the co-main event or the final bout of the show. The former WCW star is even rumored by the Wrestling Observer to be holding the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 33.
There would need to be a drastic change in where the WWE storylines for WrestleMania are going, however. Goldberg would suddenly forget about Lesnar, and Orton and Wyatt would go their separate ways without anything happening. Even though WWE has left looming plotholes before, this would be too big to avoid.
Orton vs. Goldberg would be a WrestleMania dream match. There’s just little chance of it ever happening.
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3. AJ Styles
AJ Styles just lost the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view and probably isn’t a favorite to walk into WrestleMania 33 with a title. However, as long as he remains one of SmackDown’s top stars, he’ll stand a legitimate chance of being in the headlining match in April.
The Phenomenal One has already faced some of the top stars in WWE like Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, John Cena, and Dean Ambrose in just one year on the main roster. Going head-to-head with Orton would be another one of those “dream match” scenarios. It could be a wrestling clinic of two excellent in-ring workers that put on an instant classic, getting the Camping World Stadium fans on their feet.
However, given that Orton and Styles are heels, this would probably need a third Superstar involved that’s a babyface. There’s one clear-cut option for this and it’s someone who had himself a record-tying night at the Royal Rumble.
Orton vs. Styles would be an intriguing addition to the WrestleMania match card. However, it seems unlikely given their paths to and from the main event scene, respectively.
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2. John Cena
John Cena jumps right into the mix after winning the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. He and AJ Styles put on a 20-plus minute showcase, resulting in the biggest title change of the evening. It gave Cena his 16th World title, tying Ric Flair for the most recognized WWE World title reigns of all-time.
Well, given that Cena is the title holder and Orton won the Royal Rumble match, that should mean these two collide in the WrestleMania main event, right? WWE even teased this a little bit. Orton and Cena have met before, had a long feud about seven years ago, and got booed out of arenas when they unified the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships in December 2013.
Whether you want to see Cena vs. Orton or not, it has a decent chance of not happening. This is due to the Elimination Chamber match in less than two weeks. The Face That Runs the Place will have to defend his newly-won belt aginst five other Superstars, which will limit his odds of walking out victoriously. Styles, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, and other big-name SmackDown stars could be lining up to conquer the 16th title reign and end it at just 14 days.
What should also be factored in is Cena’s post-WrestleMania activities. While he’s not confirmed to be going on another WWE hiatus, if he is, then he’s probably not walking into WrestleMania with a championship. The Leader of the Cenation wouldn’t be around to defend the belt at the following SmackDown-exclusive PPV. So if WWE wants to look long-term, they would take the belt off him before the Grandest Stage of Them All, meaning a match with Orton would have no chance of happening.
Credit: WWE.com
1. Bray Wyatt
The opponent that will make the most sense for Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33 is Bray Wyatt. Given the ongoing storyline, these two haven’t shown any sign of tension on SmackDown, especially after Luke Harper seemingly split from them at the Royal Rumble. They also worked together to double-team Roman Reigns in the final moments of the battle royal match, so all seems well with them.
With the Elimination Chamber PPV in less than two weeks, Wyatt may be a candidate to join the field for the match of the same name and compete for the WWE Championship. If he can walk out victoriously with his first-ever World title, it would set up a date with Orton at WrestleMania 33, a match that has seemingly been in the making since the Apex Predator joined the Wyatt Family.
Who walks into this match as the babyface would be interesting. Orton has played this role plenty of times before, and as recently as October. Wyatt teased this after WrestleManai 32, but would be thwarted by a calf injury that took him out of action for two months. He returned as a heel and has been this way ever since. So could WWE test the waters by having the cult-like leader being the good guy?
Who should Randy Orton’s WrestleMania 33 opponent be? Which Superstar would make the most sense?
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