Randy Orton has been involved in a feud with Drew McIntyre for more than two months now. The fresh reports suggest that there was uncertainty regarding Orton's fight against McIntyre ahead of WWE Wrestlepalooza.
After performing an RKO out of nowhere on Drew McIntyre during the August 22 edition of SmackDown, Orton finally gets another fight against The Scottish Psychopath. The two are set to square off on September 12 on SmackDown in Norfolk, Virginia.
On the latest episode of the Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Melzer reported that there was uncertainty around the Orton-McIntyre fight. It was due to Cody Rhodws's schedule for Street Fighter and whether he would be returning before or after September 20.
Meltzer added that Randy Ortan vs Drew McIntyre being announced for Friday's SmackDown meant that Rhodes vs McIntyre is set for Wrestlepalooza. Ortan-Drew was supposed to be at the PLE before The American Nightmare's schedule became clear.
"The Orton match was gonna take place first, but they didn't know if they would do it on the pay-per-view. I know the Cody thing was up in the air, I presume it was because they didn't know for a fact that he would be done filming by the 20th. That's what I was told in the middle of the week. If he's back, he'll be on the card, and if he's not, it's gonna be Orton and Drew," Meltzer said. [H/T: WrestleTalk]
While Cody Rhodes's schedule has not been confirmed by WWE, it makes sense that the company wants him on the card. It will be the first PLE under WWE's partnership with ESPN.
Ric Flair calls Randy Orton underutilized
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, shared a strange opinion on Randy Ortan recently. According to Ric Flair, The Viper is the most underutilized talent in the WWE.
Randy Ortan was often surrounded by controversy in his early days, whether it was breaking a few rules or violating the company's policies. Despite these things, Randy Ortan not just survived, he improved and became a reputable name backstage.
In a recent interview with The Escapist, WWE Hall of Famer Ric flair discussed about her daughter, Charlotte Flair, During their conversation Flair revealed that Randy Ortan comes close to his daughter in terms of in-ring skills and physical shape in the WWE.
"The only person who I think is close to her, when he is on and healthy, when you think about in-ring timing and knowing where you are all the time, is Randy Orton. Randy’s really underutilized," Flair said.
Ric Flair believes that there is a possibility that Ortan made somebody mad along the way, which could be one of the reasons why The Viper is underutilized as a talent in the promotion.
"I don’t know. I think maybe he made somebody mad along the way. Randy’s not afraid to say what he thinks, and that’s not always popular," Flair said. [H/T - The Escapist]
The Hall of famer had a long journey with the company, which means his statement could be true.