Why Aleister Black’s WrestleMania 41 Match With Randy Orton Was Scrapped

Aleister Black just pulled the curtain back on what could’ve been a massive WrestleMania moment.

During a conversation with WrestleRant, the SmackDown star confirmed that WWE was seriously considering a match between him and Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41—but it was axed before it ever got off the ground.

According to Black, the idea wasn’t some fantasy booking rumor—it actually came up during internal discussions for his return plans. WWE’s creative team briefly floated the possibility, but it didn’t take long for the pitch to fall apart once they started weighing the risk of a major loss on such a big stage. He explained how the conversation unfolded backstage:

“So they were toying with a bunch of ideas. I know at one point there was this conversation about like, ‘Oh maybe he's coming back to wrestle Randy Orton at Mania,’ and that was an actual thing that was discussed.”

And then came the reason it got scrapped just as quickly:

“It was counter-argued quickly because they were like, ‘Well, we don't want him to lose coming back at WrestleMania. That doesn't make any sense.’”

Instead, WWE pivoted. Rather than rush him into a loss at WrestleMania, they opted for a post-WrestleMania SmackDown return in Fort Worth, Texas. The moment was still big—and Black got to share the spotlight with his wife Zelina Vega, who won her first singles title that same night. He called it one of the most memorable nights of his career:

“At that point they had kind of already made the decision to bring me back… what happened happened and I really enjoyed it. It was a great night… very, very special.”

WWE clearly saw value in protecting Aleister Black’s momentum instead of burning it off at WrestleMania for a one-off spectacle. And if things continue trending the way they are, that Randy Orton match may still be waiting in the wings.

Would you have booked Aleister Black vs. Randy Orton for WrestleMania 41? Or did WWE make the right call saving his return for SmackDown instead? Sound off in the comments below and let us know how you would’ve handled it.

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