4 Clear signs that WWE is planning to turn Randy Orton heel

Former 14-time WWE world champion Randy Orton has been on a downward spiral for the last few months, as he has been on the losing end of several major matches.

The Viper was last seen at SummerSlam 2025, where he teamed up with musician Jelly Roll in his debut match to take on the alliance of Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre. However, the heels ended up winning the tag team bout.

Randy Orton's current run has some issues, and he might have re-evaluated his game plan to get back to the top.

Orton turning heel would be a perfect comeback, and would certainly give his character the boost it needs. This listicle will point out four signs that hint that The Viper could turn heel soon:

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#4. WWE recently took him off television

The Stamford-based promotion has taken The Apex Predator off television, and it appears he may stay off-screen for a while as the Clash of Paris 2025 card already looks stacked.

WWE could bring Orton back as a heel after the premium live event, and he could capture fans' attention with his heel side and target every star on SmackDown.

#3. Unfinished business with Cody Rhodes

Rhodes and Orton locked horns in a singles contest at the Night of Champions 2025 Premium Live Event in the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament. The American Nightmare didn't hold back and went to war against his mentor, ultimately winning the bout.

Upon his return, The Viper may attack The American Nightmare just like Drew McIntyre and turn heel, and avenge his loss to his former apprentice.

#2. WWE is keeping Cody Rhodes a babyface

Rumors after WrestleMania 41 suggested that The American Nightmare may turn heel. World Wrestling Entertainment even dropped some hints regarding the same throughout Rhodes' revenge arc against John Cena.

However, after beating the Last Real Champion at SummerSlam and regaining the Undisputed Championship, a recent report suggests WWE is not interested in turning their biggest babyface on the roster heel at this time.

#1. The Viper has eyed the Undisputed Championship multiple times in the past

It's been a long time since Orton has held any major championship, and he has eyed Rhodes' title in the past. He even challenged John Cena for the Undisputed Championship during his reign at Backlash 2025. However, he failed to dethrone his arch-rival of the title despite battling in his hometown.

The Viper may now return with a heel persona and chase the gold with renewed passion. Only this time, he would not hold back as a merciless heel.

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 Arsh Das