When Kevin Owens was injured in the build to WrestleMania, Randy Orton found himself without an opponent at the Show of Shows. WWE kept The Viper on the card—it was his 20th WrestleMania, after all—and he faced a surprise opponent in the form of internet sensation Joe Hendry.
It was a short match that some fans have criticised. They believe it lessened the impact of the TNA World Championship and was WWE's way of proving its superiority over the company it now has a working relationship with.
For Orton, he was excited to work with Hendry and pushed for him to get a shot at competing on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
"There was a very short list of guys on our own roster, but we had some new guys coming in — and it was one of those things where I needed to win, but considering we knew where I was going to be going thinking about Backlash, we needed me to look good coming out of Mania. It couldn’t be one of our new guys, because when we debut a new talent into the show [we couldn’t] have him start with a loss."
"So we put our heads together and it was actually my idea [for it to be] Joe Hendry. I kept pushing for it, and a couple people we’re unsure, but I was able to talk everybody into it. I’m really glad that they went with him. It was perfect. It was different from anything else on the card. It was a legitimate surprise, and we were able to keep it a surprise for the most part. We got that really cool, 'Holy s–t' moment when his music hit, and it was great. He was great."
Part of the reason Orton needed to look strong coming out of WrestleMania was the fact that he and John Cena will square off "One Last Time" at the Backlash PLE this weekend.
The Undisputed WWE Championship will be on the line, but how does Orton feel heading into the match as the babyface and clear fan favourite (in previous contests, Orton has typically been the heel).
It's a vastly different dynamic, and one he sounds excited to see play out in front of a hometown crowd.
"We’ve had dozens and dozens of big matches, but it was all 10-15 years ago when he was always the good guy. They were s–tting on him for a while as a good guy. You sound like you’re a fan, so you remember when the whole arena was filled up and it was 'Let’s go Cena, Cena sucks.' It was deafening, and I’m in there too. It didn’t matter — he just brought that noise whether they loved him or hated him."
"Now, it has the potential to be completely opposite of how it used to be, and the pressure is on me as the good guy. But I think being in the hometown [of St. Louis], him being the bad guy, it’s just really weird. There’s no way to call it — and I think the match itself will be good, but I think the energy in that arena is going to cause it to be possibly very good. It’s completely up to the energy of that St. Louis crowd. So I’m hoping they’re all ready to go."
Last year, there were some pretty strong hints that Orton might go after Cody Rhodes' title. They were allies as part of Legacy, and the American Nightmare has repeatedly shared his belief that a match now would look vastly different from their previous encounters.
The Viper remains eager to step into the ring with Rhodes and agrees that, when it happens, it stands a chance of being something special.
"I think at the very, very least, you’re looking at two guys who are equals in the ring. When he was younger and we had a few matches — I might have been his first match when he got called up, if I remember correctly. I think things would go a lot differently in this day in age then they did back then."
"I’m very proud of Cody. We were really close when he came in. He used to drive the car and I’d trust him behind the wheel, ’cause I’m not the best night time driver. I was doing my thing, and Cody got me town-to-town safely, and what a good kid. All we did was talk wrestling, and I know he’s got the heart for it."
"So yeah, me and Cody in the ring, it would be a match with two equals going at it. I think the storytelling capabilities that we have — even though the stuff with Roman, with Brock and with John was great — it would blow all of that s–t out of the water. When the time comes for me and Cody to tell that story, I think it’ll blow anything out of the water."
You can read the full interview with Orton by heading over to Billboard.