Former Authority members to reunite on WWE SmackDown after 3,987 days? Exploring the possibility

WWE is just hours away from hosting tonight's episode of SmackDown. The show is set to emanate live from Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. It will feature Randy Orton teaming up with his former mentee, Cody Rhodes, against The Vision in a tag team match.

Last week, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed double-teamed Cody during an in-ring promo at the opening of the show. But, before they could inflict more damage on The American Nightmare, Orton came out and made the save, setting the stage for their upcoming showdown tonight.

However, it seems that The Viper might do something unexpected tonight. In a shocking twist, he might betray and turn against Cody Rhodes during the match, choosing to join The Vision and aligning himself with his former Authority member, Seth Rollins. Notably, he was seen staring at the Undisputed WWE Championship after rescuing Cody from a potential beatdown by The Vision.

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Randy Orton disassociated himself from The Visionary's involvement in The Authority on the November 3, 2014, episode of RAW, when he launched a brutal attack on Rollins and the rest of The Authority, severing his ties with the group that night. Given that The Viper might still aim at becoming a 15-time World Champion, he could betray The American Nightmare and reunite with Seth Rollins tonight after 3,987 days.

However, while this angle might sound promising, it is speculative, and nothing has been confirmed. Fans will have to wait and see what the turn of events will be tonight on WWE SmackDown.

Sami Zayn could finally lose his WWE United States Championship tonight

Sami Zayn won his WWE United States Championship on the go-home edition of SmackDown ahead of Clash in Paris. He defeated Solo Sikoa to capture the title for the first time in his career.

Zayn has established himself as a fighting champion since winning the gold, consistently defending the championship through open challenges every week. He successfully defended the gold against NXT's Je'Von Evans last week in a barnburner of a match, and he is set to issue another open challenge tonight.

That said, with a plethora of possibilities open, Brock Lesnar might choose to answer Sami Zayn's Open Challenge and possibly dethrone the United States Champion. If this happens, it would allow The Beast Incarnate to win a title he has not held before in WWE and perhaps add more prestige to the gold.

However, this angle is also speculative, and nothing has been confirmed.

About the author

Bethel is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling with a Bachelor's degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He has also attended a virtual school where he was certified in Effective Communication in English. His grasp of the language and his utmost dedication to researching and verifying information help him ensure he is unbiased, practical, and nonjudgmental as he writes about the world of pro wrestling.

When he looks back at how he got hooked onto WWE, Bethel particularly recalls WrestleMania 30 in 2014. Here, he saw and became an avid supporter of Roman Reigns for his courage and boldness. However, his all-time favorite is WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin because of his rebellious ways and how he would thumb his nose at authority.

All of this has led Bethel to work for multiple institutions. He quickly learns the content guidelines and completes his and the company's targets effortlessly. One of the highlights of his career was covering WrestleMania 41 in 2025.

When Bethel is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to indulge in reading and singing.

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Edited by Jeevak Ambalgi