The “American Nightmare” is officially set for a legendary showdown in the Nevada desert, and new details have emerged regarding the structure of the contest. Dave Meltzer addressed the evolving plans for the WWE Championship in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, confirming that Randy Orton is currently scheduled to challenge Cody Rhodes in a traditional singles match at WrestleMania 42.
Contrary to recent online speculation, management is not currently planning a multi-person encounter involving Drew McIntyre or Jacob Fatu. “Barring a late decision change, Rhodes will defend the title against Randy Orton, and it’s pretty much a lock that it will be a singles match rather than a three-way or four-way match,” Meltzer noted. This decision aims to focus the spotlight on the deep-rooted history between the two former Legacy stablemates.
The report also shed light on the high-stakes “Plan A” that was originally considered for the Las Vegas stadium. Before the chain reaction caused by Seth Rollins’ injury and the subsequent title shift to Drew McIntyre, WWE had heavily discussed placing the third chapter of Rhodes versus Roman Reigns inside the Hell in a Cell structure. While some internal sources claim it was never a finalized plan, the concept was a primary topic of creative meetings throughout the winter.
“This ends weeks of speculation and changes when it came to that title, which originally was scheduled for Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns, possibly in a Hell in a Cell match,” Meltzer added. The pivot to Orton was reportedly finalized the first week of February, aligning with the “Apex Predator’s” victory in the Elimination Chamber. As the road to WrestleMania 42 reaches its final stop, the 14-time champion is officially leaning into his quest to break John Cena’s record, setting the stage for a “bell-to-bell” masterpiece at Allegiant Stadium on April 18 and 19.
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