WWE SmackDown May 16: 3 reasons why Randy Orton did not appear on the show tonight
WWE SmackDown May 16: John Cena beat Randy Orton at WWE Backlash 2025 last week to retain the Undisputed Championship. During the match, 'The Viper' laid out SmackDown GM Nick Aldis and several officials with RKOs. Many expected Orton to face the consequences of these actions on the latest episode of SmackDown. He, however, remained conspicuous by his absence. Here is a look at why the veteran did not appear on the show tonight
Randy Orton's feud with John Cena is over
Randy Orton's feud with John Cena ended when the Cenation Leader scored a controversial yet decisive win over his old rival at Backlash. The finish left no room for a rematch as 'The Last Real Champion' demanded a new challenger for his title, turning the page on this rivalry. Given this, it made little sense for Orton to appear on SmackDown.
There is still time to build his feud with Nick Aldis
According to Fightful, Orton is likely to take on Nick Aldis at SummerSlam in August. The sed for this feud were planted ahead of WrestleMania 41 when the veteran RKOed the former Magnus. WWE has plenty of time to flesh out the rivalry in the weeks to come. As such, there was no real need to have a segment between Orton and Aldis tonight.
Tonight's show was all about Solo Sikoa
Solo Sikoa was undoubtedly the MVP of the night on the men's side of things tonight. The opening segment saw him try to verbally bully Jacob Fatu amid rising tensions between the the two men. He then beat Rey Fenix and Jimmy Uso in a triple threat match to qualify for the Money in the Bank match as the Premium Live Event
Additionally, R-Truth's interview with Wade Barret was a major highlight as it set the tone for the veteran's match against John Cena at Saturday Night's Main Event. The WWE may have kept Randy Orton off the card tonight to ensure that the spotlight remained on these segments.
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