3 Reasons why Randy Orton got pinned on WWE SmackDown

Tonight's edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown saw Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes compete in a tag team match against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed in the main event.

The match was a back-and-forth battle. Toward the end, The Legend Killer started to execute his perfect game plan. Just as it looked like Orton was about to win by hitting his DDT on Bronson Reed, Paul Heyman distracted the referee, and Seth Rollins interfered and connected his signature Stomp on Orton.

Reed followed it by his signature Tsunami splash and pinned The Viper clean to secure a big win over the former Legacy members. In this article, we will examine three reasons why Randy Orton got pinned on SmackDown.

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#3. WWE legend may turn heel

There have been talks about a rivalry between Orton and Rhodes ever since The American Nightmare returned to the Stamford-based promotion at WrestleMania 38 and climbed the ladder, becoming the face of the company.

Many see The Viper as the biggest rival of The American Nightmare, and they might end up being each other's greatest foes in WWE.

This loss could cause the fuse inside Orton to blow, infuriating his heel side, and Orton may finally turn heel. This would lay the foundation for the much-awaited WrestleMania 42 match between Cody and Randy.

#2. Set up The American Nightmare as a bigger babyface

Cody Rhodes is currently the face of World Wrestling Entertainment, and as a popular babyface, the Stamford-based promotion often puts him in awkward and harsh situations ahead of his anticipated bouts.

The American Nightmare considers Randy Orton his mentor. Therefore, Rollins and his heel crew's attack on The Viper might have ignited a fire inside the Undisputed Champion, making him a bigger babyface heading into Crown Jewel: Perth.

#1. To put the rising stars over

Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker are two WWE Superstars who are viewed as the future WrestleMania main-eventers.

That said, them picking a clean win over Randy Orton, pinning him in the main event at Friday Night SmackDown, would put Breakker and Reed over as the next big thing.

About the author

Nayan is a WWE News and Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Poddar International, he began working as a YouTube script writer. Nayan then transitioned to Pinkvilla as a combat sports writer. He gained valuable experience there before finally coming under the banner of Sportskeeda.

Within 1.5 years, Nayan has written over 1,000 articles, interviewed MFN promotion owners, and conducted a Twitter campaign that gained over 50k retweets and more. He puts fact-checking and mindful journalism above everything by applying a three-check method, where he tries to verify reports from reliable sources and cross-check whether other major publications have covered them.

Looking back at his association with pro wrestling, Nayan recalls being hooked on the sport after watching Shawn Michael vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Since then, the product has been an inseparable part of his life.

Apart from The Heartbreak Kid being Nayan's favorite wrestler for his confidence and charisma, he is also a fan of Brock Lesnar due to The Beast's "work speaks louder than words" attitude.

Nayan can be found performing mixed martial arts and reading true crime in his free time.

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Edited by Neda Ali