Randy Orton has been in a major feud for the past couple of weeks, and this week’s Friday Night SmackDown had some major developments on it.
On the September 5, 2025, edition of WWE SmackDown, a dramatic vignette aired featuring Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre, setting the tone for a major singles feud. The two men exchanged intense words: Orton warned that McIntyre would regret underestimating him, while McIntyre accused Orton of not pulling the trigger when it mattered.
Orton said,
You’d think that a man that’s been around here long enough to see what I am truly capable of, would quit while he’s ahead and shut his damn mouth. (0:08 – 0:17)
It’s like you think you have some kind of superpower where you read minds and tell what people are thinking. Well you don’t. And trust me, if you did, you would not want to know what the voices are saying. You have no idea what’s coming for you. (0:36 – 0:56)
I’m going to knock you right back into reality when I hit you with the three most dangerous letters in sports entertainment. R-K-O. (1:09 – 1:21)
McIntyre fired back, saying,
I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks about me. I always tell the truth and I do what needs to be done. And the truth is, you’re just mad, you’re not willing to pull the trigger when it counts, but I am. (0:18 – 0:35)
The winds of change are blowing through WWE, the future’s being written. You won’t be a part of it, the WWE needs a real man like me. (0:58 – 1:08)
This segment adds weight to the brewing storyline between the two veterans, building anticipation for a showdown at WrestlePalooza, a new PLE scheduled for September 20. Originally, McIntyre was expected to challenge Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes for the title, but Rhodes’s absence has thrown that plan into uncertainty.
The Potential Matchup Between Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre at WrestlePalooza
With Rhodes currently unavailable due to medical injuries, WWE creative appears to be pivoting toward a fresh, emotionally charged rivalry, McIntyre vs. Orton, at WrestlePalooza. During the same episode, former Divas Champion AJ Lee made her return to the company after being away for more than 10 years. Check that here.
No official announcement has been made by the company confirming the change. But given the intense promo and external circumstances, the company may be building toward an explosive encounter between two of its most compelling stars. Fans are keenly watching WWE’s next move, as the promotion could soon confirm if Orton truly replaces Rhodes, and whether this rivalry becomes the must-see main event of WrestlePalooza.