A different creative direction was reportedly in place for Randy Orton heading into WrestleMania 42 before plans shifted in a major way.
According to details making the rounds, the original pitch for what ultimately became Pat McAfee aligning with Orton was actually designed for Aleister Black to fill that role.
The concept would have seen Black psychologically tormenting Orton in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, with the goal of drawing out the darker, more dangerous “Apex Predator” side of his personality.
At the core of the storyline was a deeper narrative, if Black succeeded in pushing Orton back to that version of himself, it would serve as proof that Orton had never truly changed or evolved over the years.
That was the entire point.
The working idea reportedly called for Black and Orton to clash during WrestleMania weekend, with Orton hesitating in a key moment to use his infamous punt kick, a decision that would likely cost him the match.
However, the story wouldn’t have ended there.
Plans then called for Orton to snap later on, launching an attack on Cody Rhodes as part of a WrestleMania angle.
In that moment, Orton would finally unleash the punt kick, symbolically embracing his old persona and validating Black’s claims that the “Apex Predator” had been there all along.
(H/T: PWInsider Elite)
