• 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.
• Major Name Not Appearing On Tonight’s RAW
WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has shut down rumors of appearing on tonight’s 3/16 episode of RAW.The show airs live from San Antonio, Texas — his home state — on 3:16 Day, sparking heavy speculation about a surprise return.
Reports from sources like WrestleVotes said WWE officials were “very hopeful” he would show up, with talks held but no official invite confirmed.
However, Austin addressed the buzz directly during an interview on The Takedown on SI, confirming he won’t be there. He cited preparations for an upcoming race in Nevada as the reason.
He remains tied to WWE, as he’s confirmed for WWE World during WrestleMania 42 weekend.
Below is the card for tonight’s RAW:
– Roman Reigns will respond to CM Punk’s comments
– Brock Lesnar will appear
– Original El Grande Americano vs. El Grande Americano #2
– Nattie vs. Maxxine Dupri
– Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer vs. Raquel Rodriguez
– Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: AJ Lee (c) vs. Bayley
Also Read: Jacob Fatu Reveals WWE’s Originally Planned Name For Him
• WWE Reportedly Canceling Their Next Saudi Arabia PLE
WWE is reportedly reconsidering its plans for upcoming events in Saudi Arabia, including the Night of Champions PLE scheduled for this June.
While nothing is official yet, the general feeling behind the scenes is that the show is “unlikely to happen” due to increasing safety risks in the region, according to the Wrestling Observer. This follows a trend of other major sports — like Formula 1, Boxing, and the UFC — canceling or moving their events out of the country recently.
Losing these shows would be a major financial blow for WWE, as they are part of a massive deal. The company is also keeping a close eye on their other scheduled shows for 2026 and even WrestleMania 43, which is supposed to be in Riyadh next year. For now, everything is on hold until the security situation improves.
