Randy Orton Announces Open Challenge For WWE WrestleMania 41

By Max Everett
Randy Orton looks at the WrestleMania sign Wwe/Getty Images

Randy Orton announced during "WWE SmackDown" that he will be competing at WrestleMania 41 in an open challenge. 

Orton had been scheduled to face Kevin Owens in a grudge match at the "Show of Shows" for his 20th appearance at the event, but earlier this month Owens announced that he had sustained a neck injury that would prevent him from competing at the event. Owens will have to undergo surgery and is reportedly expected not to be back until deep into next year. 

Without an opponent for the event and with the idea of himself not competing at the event unthinkable, Orton demanded of General Manager Nick Aldis to be booked in a match – even if it meant Aldis lacing his own boots up once again. But he was instead thrust into a main event tag team match alongside LA Knight against Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga, and remained without a defined opponent going into this week. 

Orton sought to address that just a day before WrestleMania 41 kicked off, confirming on "SmackDown" that he will be wrestling someone at the event in an open challenge on Sunday. 

It's yet unknown who will be taking up Orton on his challenge, but Sikoa and Aldis are both potential options based on recent weeks; Orton has RKO'd Aldis twice at this juncture, and Sikoa is without a match on the card and entered Orton's radar last week.

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