Randy Orton will have his hands full with Kevin Owens at Crown Jewel, but it seems he has his eyes on another prize.
WWE‘s “Apex Predator” will go to war with his former friend in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night, settling a score that has been bubbling for weeks.
Orton demanded a match with Owens after the pair came to blows following the Bad Blood PPV last month, and finally got his wish by calling out Triple H on SmackDown two weeks ago.
But it seems he has one eye on Owens, and another on the WWE Undisputed Championship.
Orton has been aligned with Cody Rhodes in recent months, and the pair teamed up in the main event of SmackDown’s go-home show to take on Imperium.
In an explosive tag team match, “The Viper” surprised World Heavyweight Champion Gunther with an RKO, which paved the way for Rhodes to hit Ludwig Kaiser with his finisher for the win.
The pair make a formidable team, but in the locker room before their win, Orton teased a heel turn.
During a conversation with Rhodes, he had his eyes locked on the title belt hanging in the background.
It’s not the first time he’s been seen staring at the gold, and some fans are convinced he could double-cross the champion and take it for himself.
“I think I know what Randy Orton‘s voices are telling him now,” one fan wrote on X.
“The story is already there between Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. Friendship, mentorship and legacy. The feud for the championship will be amazing!” another said.
Sharing a number of screenshots from last few months, a third wrote: “Randy Orton just can’t keep his eyes off the prize.”
While WWE might be planting the seeds for a future feud between Orton and Rhodes, the pair will need to be on the same page at Crown Jewel.
After winning their tag team match on SmackDown, Orton was attacked by Owens, who battered him with a steel chair, and Gunther locked Rhodes in a sleeper.
The bad blood between between all of those stars will no doubt spill over in Saudi Arabia, and the repercussions of that could be felt for weeks.
Elsewhere on the Crown Jewel card, Roman Reigns and The Usos will take on The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu) in a six-man tag team match.
Women’s Champion Nia Jax will go head-to-head with women’s world champion Liv Morgan in another champion vs champion match, while Seth Rollins will take on Bronson Reed.
LA Knight will defend his United States Championship in a triple threat match against Andrade and Carmelo Hayes, while the women’s tag team champions, Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair, will defend their belts in a fatal four way match.
Kairi Sane and Iyo Sky, NXT’s Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson, and Chelsea Green and Piper Niven all have the chance to win gold in that bout.
