Former headliner risks missing WrestleMania 40 after crushing defeat to Randy Orton on SmackDown

Randy Orton picked up a huge win in the main event of WWE SmackDown and has a clear path to WrestleMania 40 now - albeit a very difficult one. However, for the man whom he defeated, it's even more crushing because he recently headlined WrestleMania.

RAW and SmackDown General Managers Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis announced a 12-man tournament, with six superstars qualifying for the Elimination Chamber match that will determine Seth Rollins' WrestleMania 40 opponent. Some of the matches included AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre (won by McIntyre), while some matches next week include Logan Paul vs. The Miz and Kevin Owens vs. Dominik Mysterio.

Sami Zayn vs. Randy Orton was one of the qualifiers and Zayn expressed his disappointment that he went from headlining WrestleMania to being relatively directionless. Although he was optimistic about his chances, he would suffer a crushing defeat to The Viper Randy Orton in the main event of WWE SmackDown.

It was heartbreaking to see Sami Zayn walk away disappointed, seemingly with no direction to go in for WrestleMania 40 just one year after headlining The Grandest Stage of Them All.

It's certainly a shame to see him in this position, and fans hope WWE has something planned for him, given that there are two nights of action and spectacle awaiting for premium live event.

What do you want to see Sami Zayn do at WrestleMania 40? Let us know in the comments below!