Randy Orton is in for his 20th WrestleMania appearance, but he went into the match not knowing who his opponent would be. It turned out to be the reigning TNA World Champion, Joe Hendry.

After months of rivalry, Orton was scheduled to settle his feud with Kevin Owens in a highly anticipated match at this year’s Show of Shows, but an unfortunate neck injury put him away for a long time, and neck surgery was expected for the 40-year-old.

It was also speculated that The Viper might face SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis after he RKO’d him on live TV after he broke the news about The Prizefighter’s injury to him.

Randy Orton Wins His 20th WrestleMania Match

Orton went out to the ring as the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas cheered for him. He took to the mic and delivered a short promo, reminding everyone that it is his 20th WrestleMania appearance this year. He also promised to give his mystery opponent their WrestleMania moment.

Soon after, Hendry’s music played, and the current TNA World Champion walked out with a huge smile. The 36-year-old TNA star is no newbie and has extensive experience in the field of pro wrestling, but he couldn’t outdo The Legend Killer.

The two stars scuffled for a few minutes before Orton hit his opponent with his signature move. One RKO outta nowhere was enough to put the TNA star away.

After the match, Orton went up to his opponent to admire his courage for stepping up to The Apex Predator. But poor Hendry had to eat up another RKO, courtesy of the 14-time World Champion.

This marked Orton’s ninth victory at WrestleMania, pushing his all-time record at the event to 9-10. It was also his first Mania win since WrestleMania 38 in 2020, where he defeated The Street Profits in Arlington, Texas.

Through a working partnership between TNA and WWE, Hendry made his WWE in-ring debut on the June 18, 2024, edition of NXT, where he participated in the 25-man battle royal to determine the number one contender for the NXT Championship.

He then replaced Je’Von Evans as Trick Williams’ tag team partner on the July 9 episode of NXT, and the duo went against Ethan Page and Shawn Spears. he even won a shot at the NXT Championship title in August but failed.

He made his Royal Rumble debut this year and participated in the 30-man Royal Rumble match. He was the No. 15 entrant and was eliminated by Roman Reigns.