12-time champion to begin feud with Randy Orton on SmackDown? Exploring the possibility

Randy Orton is set to make his appearance on the upcoming episode of Friday Night SmackDown. The Viper's appearance comes after he defeated Dominik Mysterio in the former's first singles match on Monday Night RAW since 2022. While Orton had a successful outing on the red brand, his focus will now shift to SmackDown.

On RAW, Randy Orton kept mentioning how he would like to take revenge against The Bloodline. Hence, many expect that when he arrives on SmackDown, he will feud with the heel faction. However, there is a chance that Orton might have to feud with another faction leader before he gets to Roman Reigns.

The faction leader in question is Sheamus. The Irish wrestler has been out for the last few months due to injury. However, given that he is cleared to return, fans could see Sheamus attack The Apex Predator and begin a feud with him on Friday Night SmackDown.

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Even though the angle is speculative, it makes sense because by booking him against Sheamus, WWE could allow Orton to warm up before booking him in a major feud. After all, The Viper will likely want to take it easy initially, given the injury he has just returned from.

Wrestling veteran claims Randy Orton will feud with a RAW Superstar

When Randy Orton returned at Survivor Series: WarGames, for a brief period during the match, he teased turning heel and attacking Jey Uso. However, Orton did not do that, and on RAW after Survivor Series, he seemed to have made peace with the former Bloodline member.

However, according to legendary wrestling journalist Bill Apter, The Viper will feud with Jey Uso in the near future. On Sportskeeda's UnSKripted podcast, Apter mentioned that Orton and Jey’s friendship won't last long. Apter added that Orton does not forget. The wrestling veteran said:

"I am gonna predict, by the way, that the Randy Orton-Jey Uso marriage currently, that they are pals now, that's not going to last. Randy Orton, The Apex Predator, never forgets.” [From 45:04 - 45:21]

You can check out what Bill Apter said about The Viper in the video below:

While everything seems to be cool between Orton and Jey for now, it will be interesting to see if the two indulge in a rivalry anytime soon. Given the history they share, it will certainly be interesting to watch a match between Orton and Jey if they go against each other.

About the author

Varun is a Golf and WWE journalist for Sportskeeda with over 4 years of work experience in his bag. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he worked for many sites, including EssentiallySports, FanSided, Khel Now, Get Football, and a few others.

Varun is a fan of golfer Scottie Scheffler due to the latter’s mindset, and he admires Roman Reigns’ ability to keep moving forward in life regardless of any obstacles. As a purist golf fan, he would love to compete at the Masters if given the opportunity, but is also happy with LIV Golf driving more eyeballs towards the sport. If he could go back in time and be a manager for someone in the WWE, it would have been Big Show.

Varun’s mantra for writing factually correct feature articles is thorough verification. Another key element in his writing is staying updated with both sports through the official websites of pro wrestling and Golf. He has had the privilege of interviewing MMA legend Greg Jackson in his career so far.

Varun likes to spend his free time reading or writing poetry and fiction. He also plans to learn and play golf in his spare time.

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Edited by Jacob Terrell