Randy Orton faces tough setback before WWE Elimination Chamber
Randy Orton heads into this week’s Elimination Chamber with momentum on paper but far less in reality; randy orton secured his spot in the match alongside Cody Rhodes and LA Knight, yet he arrives with a run of results that has left both fans and decision-makers uneasy.
Randy Orton's recent record and WrestleMania setback
Since returning to full-time action in early 2025, Orton has picked up only one premium live event victory — a hard-fought win against Joe Hendry at last year’s WrestleMania — a single highlight across an entire year that now shapes expectations for the Chamber. Last year he was slotted for a major WrestleMania bout that collapsed moments before it began when his opponent suffered a serious injury; WWE adjusted on the fly and he drifted into the background for the rest of the show. That sequence of events and the sparse win column have put pressure on his spot in the short-term booking picture.
2019 Chamber moment still looms
Orton’s history inside the Elimination Chamber adds another layer to the matchup. In 2019 he entered the Chamber as the sixth and final entrant in a match that included Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe. Orton caught AJ Styles mid-air with an RKO, eliminating Styles, but his night ended soon after when Kofi Kingston pinned him with a Trouble in Paradise and eliminated him. That outing — and the broader note that only six wrestlers have ever won an Elimination Chamber from the sixth entrant position — remains part of his Chamber résumé.
What’s at stake this week
The Elimination Chamber is designed to test endurance and resolve, and randy orton enters with both being questioned. WWE appears unsure where he fits in the long-term picture, and this Chamber match stands as a clear inflection point: a strong showing could remind fans and creative teams that he still has the presence and precision that once defined his career, while another subdued performance would deepen the narrative of a veteran struggling to regain momentum. If Orton delivers inside the Chamber, it could reset plans and give creative teams something solid to build toward in April.
The match this week, with Orton alongside Cody Rhodes and LA Knight, is the immediate hurdle. Recovery from the WrestleMania collapse and the single WrestleMania victory over Joe Hendry are the closest concrete markers of his recent form, and the Chamber will be the next confirmed setting for Orton to change that trajectory.
