Randy Orton's WWE SummerSlam 2025 opponent to get confirmed on this week's SmackDown? Exploring the possibility

Backlash 2025 ended in disappointing fashion for Randy Orton. The Viper lost to John Cena in heartbreaking fashion after a low blow and a shot to the head from the Undisputed WWE Championship sealed victory for the latter. Now, though, Orton must look ahead, and with that in mind, could he find out who his opponent for SummerSlam 2025 will be on this week's SmackDown?

This could certainly be a possibility, especially considering that the announcement could have a lot to do with Randy Orton's actions at Backlash 2025. For context, although The Viper lost, there was a moment when he listened to the "voices in his head" and hit everyone in the ring with an RKO. This includes five officials, with Nick Aldis, the SmackDown general manager, being among them.

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Taking this into consideration, Aldis could announce his return to the ring, and that he will face Randy Orton at SummerSlam. It would be quite the twist, but not totally unexpected, seeing as the tension between Aldis and Orton has been brewing since before WrestleMania 41.

There have been reports suggesting that Aldis is keen to return to in-ring action, and that both he and WWE were just waiting for the right feud and storyline. A long-running program with The Legend Killer leading up to The Biggest Party of the Summer could be just that.

Of course, at the end of the day, it is all just speculation. SummerSlam is still a few months away, so this Friday might be too early to make an announcement, but with WWE, one can never say never.

Randy Orton could get suspended and fined for his actions at Backlash 2025

A SummerSlam match being announced for Randy Orton after his actions in St. Louis, Missouri, seems a little far-fetched. However, something that could realistically happen is a punishment being doled out to The Viper.

Putting hands on officials is a big "no-no" in pro wrestling, and Orton not only RKOed one, but five WWE officials. As such, it wouldn't be all that surprising to see him written off-screen for a while through some form of fine or suspension.

Of course, much like the previous scenario, there is no telling what WWE has planned for Orton going forward, but him facing the repercussions of his action is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. Regardless, fans will have to wait and see what's in store for him.

About the author

Nithin is a Pro Wrestling writer who covers WWE news stories at Sportskeeda. He holds an MBA degree and has 4 years of content writing experience working for the likes of The SportsRush and GiveMeSport. His association with SK goes way back as he wrote for the pro wrestling division earlier, too, and interned with the team while pursuing his undergraduate degree.

Nithin’s writing style is inspired by the storytelling abilities of Japanese mangakas Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, and English authors like George R.R. Martin and JRR Tolkien. He strives to keep his reports accurate and relevant by keeping up to date with the pro wrestling world and catering to reader preferences.

He is a huge fan of Seth Rollins’ workhorse mentality and Sami Zayn’s never-say-die spirit. He says that if he could go back to The Attitude Era, he would love to manage Kurt Angle and bring out his ‘Wrestling Machine’ character much earlier in his career.

In his free time, Nithin watches, reads, and makes videos about sports on his YouTube channel ‘The Daily Raid.’ He also enjoys gaming, watching anime, and reading manga.

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Edited by Nithin Joseph