• Why WWE Stopped Doing Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal At WrestleMania
WWE stopped including the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the main WrestleMania card after WrestleMania 35 in 2019. The match, introduced at WrestleMania 30 in 2014 to honor late WWE Hall of Famer Andre the Giant, was a big multi-man over-the-top-rope Battle Royal on the pre-show or main show of WrestleMania.
It did not happen at WrestleMania 36 in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. WWE limited wrestlers in the ring at once and held the event behind closed doors. The battle royal never returned to WrestleMania itself after that.
According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select Q&A, WWE officials changed their thinking post-pandemic. They no longer feel the need to pack as many wrestlers as possible into WrestleMania to fill time or give spots to everyone.
With fewer restrictions now, the company focuses on tighter cards with bigger matches instead of squeezing in large battle royals. Instead, WWE moved the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal to the final SmackDown episode before WrestleMania.
This shift helps keep WrestleMania shows shorter and more focused. The tradition lives on, just not on the WrestleMania broadcast.
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• Why WWE Turned Randy Orton Heel
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton met in the ring for their WrestleMania 42 contract signing in the main event segment of last week’s SmackDown. Cody talked about having his WWE debut match against Orton in 2007. Cody said he has always been proud to be Randy’s boy. Cody signed the contract, but Randy hesitated.
Randy said he needs the WrestleMania main event and the WWE Title. Cody said he’ll always love Randy. Randy signed the contract and then turned heel by launching a brutal attack on Cody.
Cody got busted open. Randy even attacked Nick Aldis and Jelly Roll. Randy sat in a chair with the WWE Championship in his lap to end SmackDown.
According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE booked Orton to turn heel because they didn’t want a Babyface vs. Babyface match between them. They already did that at Night of Champions 2025, where Rhodes defeated Orton to become King of the Ring.
It was also noted that WWE officials are fully aware that fans will still cheer for Orton despite his heel turn.
