WATCH: Randy Orton stands tall after delivering RKO ‘out of nowhere’ as all hell breaks loose on final SmackDown before Elimination Chamber 

Randy Orton will compete in an Elimination Chamber match to determine the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.

WATCH: Randy Orton stands tall after delivering RKO ‘out of nowhere’ as all hell breaks loose on final SmackDown before Elimination Chamber 

Randy Orton on SmackDown (via WWE)

The ending of the final episode of SmackDown before the Elimination Chamber ended in chaos. After the main event bout was over, all participants engaged in an all-out brawl as they hit finishers one on another. However, it was Randy Orton who stood tall going into the PLE, which has major implications for a World Title opportunity.

Drew McIntyre squared off against LA Knight in the closing match. A ringside scuffle between Logan Paul and Kevin Owens led to a no contest. As a result, all four men, including Bobby Lashley, attacked each other. The Almighty hit a vicious spear on Owens, followed by McIntyre laying out Lashley with a Claymore. Just when The Scottish Warrior thought it was all over, Randy Orton delivered an RKO ‘out of nowhere’ to close the show.

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The Men’s Elimination Chamber match is clearly stacked with the best superstars on the roster. The winner of the bout will go on to face Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. Orton and McIntyre are the favorites to become the #1 contender. However, a surprise winner cannot be ruled out at this point.

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In addition to that, WWE seems to be heading in the direction of prolonging the Paul vs. Owens program. Interestingly, the former interacted with his other rumored opponent, LA Knight. Therefore, the Elimination Chamber match will also help in building other rivalries for WrestleMania 40.

What else transpired on tonight’s episode of SmackDown?

Tiffany Stratton gained momentum going into Elimination Chamber. She not only defeated Liv Morgan but also got on the nerves of The EST, Bianca Belair. Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate got the upper hand against Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh. Meanwhile, Roman Reigns and The Bloodline had a couple of backstage segments, continuing to build their rivalry with Cody Rhodes.

Logan Paul on SmackDown
Logan Paul on SmackDown (via WWE)

The Authors of Pain (AOP) won in a competitive tag team outing against The Street Profits. Moreover, the faction rivalry got intense as Karrion Kross injured Bobby Lashley’s arm. In another backstage segment, the Bayley vs. Damage CTRL storyline saw another twist, with Dakota Kai claiming she was attacked by the notorious faction. In the main event, Drew McIntyre and LA Knight had a hard-hitting battle that was marred by outside interference. 

As expected, a brawl ensued, which ended with Randy Orton standing tall going into Elimination Chamber.  All in all, the go-home episode of Elimination Chamber heightened fan expectations for today’s PLE and WrestleMania 40.

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