Original WWE WrestleMania 42 Plans For Randy Orton To Bring Back The Punt Revealed

Although Randy Orton did not win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42, he ended night one standing tall after crushing Cody Rhodes with a punt kick.

Orton has not used his ‘super finisher’ for several years, with the punt one of the most protected and feared moves in WWE. Plans were always in place for Orton to dig deep into his heel ‘Viper’ persona and unleash the punt at Mania, but a report from PWInsider has shed light on WWE’s original plans for the angle.

Per reports, Orton was originally set to feud with Aleister Black, with Black attempting to goad Orton into snapping and proving he was not a changed man and the psychotic ‘Viper’ was dormant inside him. Reported plans suggested that the two would face off at Mania, with Black overcoming Orton after Orton would hesitate to punt him, with Orton later snapping and punting Cody Rhodes during a later Mania angle.

The reported pitches were discussed around January 2026, and whilst it is unknown how far past the pitch stage WWE explored this plan, it seems elements of it remained, with Pat McAfee controversially inserted into the story and being the one who brought the ‘Apex Predator’ side out of Orton, with Orton still closing Mania night one by punting Rhodes in the head.