Backstage Update On Plans For Randy Orton As WWE Champion

Time to settle in for a lengthy reign for the Viper...

by Andrew Pollard
Edge Randy Orton
WWE.com

Having captured the WWE Championship at last night’s Hell in a Cell PPV, it looks as if Randy Orton is set for a solid run with the Raw brand’s grandest prize.

From Wrestling Observer Radio, the current plan is for Orton to hold onto the WWE Championship at least until next year’s WrestleMania 37. At this time, the Viper is pencilled in to defend that title against Edge at the 2021 edition of WWE’s annual Showcase of the Immortals.

Rumours of this potential WrestleMania 37 contest first surfaced earlier this year, although some reports claimed that these plans were scrapped as WWE creative looked to assess the lay of the land throughout the rest of the year before making a final decision on next year’s ‘Mania. Now, it appears that we will indeed be getting Orton vs. Edge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 37.

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Before Edge suffered a triceps injury at this past June’s WWE Backlash, the Rated R Superstar was to face off against Orton in a third bout at this year’s SummerSlam. Obviously those plans were thrown up in the air after Edge was forced to undergo surgery, but the idea is to revisit this rivalry once the Canadian is cleared for action.

Speaking on Busted Open last month, Edge revealed that his recovery is going a little slower than he’d have hoped. Still, the multiple-time World Champion is expected to be ready for a return to the squared circle early next year – which would hopefully put him on track to appear at WrestleMania 37 on March 28, 2021.

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Of course, given that WrestleMania 37 is still five months away, plans can always change on the fly – especially with how haphazard Vince McMahon can be.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.