A new report from Bodyslam.net reveals that WWE originally planned for Randy Orton to leave WrestleMania 42 as the new Undisputed WWE Champion.
However, the decision was made to pivot from that just weeks before the Show of Shows, explaining why Cody Rhodes ultimately retained the title.
Getting into spoiler territory, it's said that the plan is to continue the feud between the American Nightmare and The Viper beyond WrestleMania. WWE decided on that some time ago, explaining the decision to have Orton attack Rhodes after the match by delivering the Punt for the first time in several years.
This wasn't the only major change to the match, as PWInsider has learned that Aleister Black was supposed to get involved with the rivalry heading into WrestleMania.
In January, an idea was pitched that Black would torment Orton, leading to the resurgence of his Apex Predator persona. By drawing out that side of Orton, Black would prove that he'd never truly changed or evolved as a person and that his darker self was waiting beneath the surface.
Orton and Black were set to square off, with the former hesitating to use the Punk Kick to put his opponent down. After losing the match, Orton would use the Punk on Rhodes, bringing back his heel character and confirming that Black had been right all along.
Ultimately, McAfee essentially usurped Black's place in the storyline, meaning TKO took the former NXT Champion's key role in this WrestleMania storyline from him. With McAfee now gone from WWE, it's unclear whether Black will somehow factor into Rhodes' continuing feud with Orton.
Shortly before WrestleMania, Orton revealed the role former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon played in protecting his iconic finisher, the RKO:
"It’s funny because that RKO is everything. Vince had a huge hand to play because when I would be wrestling somebody, and I was younger, they would want to kick out of my finish. Vince would pull me aside and say, 'We’re not going to do that. We’re not going to let that happen.' I’ll never hit a guy with three RKOs to cover him and pin him. I’m not going to dilute my finish. That is always going to be a kill shot, and I can hit it out of nowhere. Vince has a huge part to play when it comes to my finish, and that’s a huge part of being a WWE superstar, what’s your finishing move."
With the Punt now in play, Orton has one more devastating move in his arsenal to use against Rhodes...