Fourteen-time world champion Randy Orton had to be carried off the arena on a stretcher after Kevin Owens hit him with a piledriver during Saturday night's SmackDown LIVE episode. In a video surfaced on social media, Orton was wearing a neck brace and was being taken in an ambulance, with fellow wrestler Cody Rhodes also accompanying him.
With Orton coming out on the arena to address the crowd, The Viper addressed their 'no contest' result in Crown Jewel 2024, he urged Owens to come out to finish it off tonight. Owens walked in to the ring and both started their brawl, with the WWE officials failing to stop them. Owens quickly hit Orton with a low blow, followed by a pile driver.
The commentators were also left stunned, with Michael Cole screaming, 'There's a reason that move is banned.'
How did the rivalry between Kevin Owens and Randy Orton begin?
Meanwhile, the foundations of the feud between Orton and Owens took place following Bad Blood. A footage emerged on social media of Owens attacking Cody Rhodes back stage as the latter was about to enter the bus. With Orton being a long time mutual friend of both, he attempted to keep peace between the two.
Nevertheless, Owens himself attacked Orton on the October 11th episode of SmackDown, assuming that the fourteen-time world champion had sided with Rhodes. After SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis denied Orton a match with Rhodes, he raised it with WWE COO Triple H, who scheduled a fight with Owens.
The latest events could have Orton out of action for a while, given the magnitude of the injury.
