WWE star Randy Orton has had a legendary career in the company, spanning decades and winning 14 World Championships.
While Orton has mentioned previously he plans to continue to wrestle for at least the next five years, there are a lot of current talent that could be a great fit to be the last opponent of his career.
Here are eight WWE stars that could be Randy Orton’s final opponent.
8. Cody Rhodes
In what seems like the most likely choice, Cody Rhodes would be a perfect final opponent for Randy Orton.
While the duo have a long history together, there are also a lot of storyline threads of past grievances that can be pulled at to bring a narrative together.
Rhodes has had a complete career transformation since he was one of Orton’s protégés in the Legacy stable and it would be fascinating to see some of the emotional elements of that play out between them.
Orton has commented in the past that he would choose Cody for his last match if he were to have the choice, so hopefully timeline and storyline are able to align in the future to make it possible.
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7. Je’Von Evans
One young star that may still be around in WWE when Randy Orton elects to retire – whether it is in about 5 years as he has previously speculated or even longer – is Je’Von Evans.
Already having had a match against Randy Orton on NXT in Orton’s hometown of St Louis, it would be incredible to see where the pair could meet up in the future.
With a clearly bright future ahead of him Je’Von Evans could conceivably be at the top of the WWE card in the next five years.
Other potential main eventers from NXT include Wes Lee, Oba Femi and Ricky Saints.
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6. Batista
Batista is still not in the WWE Hall of Fame and a return for a limited time to specifically feud with Randy Orton ahead of a future WrestleMania would be legendary.
Offering Orton an opponent that he could beat to “go out on top” but not at the expense of an upcoming talent’s trajectory, the match would certainly sound like a blockbuster with massive mainstream appeal if it was to be the last match for both.
Randy Orton remains one of the most recognizable WWE stars in American pop-culture with his signature RKO referenced with frequency.
Bringing together his retirement match with another major mainstream name for a big WWE event could not only give a satisfying end to both of their in-ring careers, but also make for a historic moment.
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5. Myles Borne
After joining WWE as a recruit in 2022, Myles Borne is fairly young in his professional wrestling career.
While he is currently getting a chance to shine in NXT, Borne has continued to demonstrate that he doesn’t just have a resemblance to Randy Orton in looks and stature.
Able to capitalize on his strength and speed, Borne at times looks like Randy Orton in the ring – to the point it seems a given that the pair will someday have to have a showdown.
By the time Orton is ready to retire, it is entirely likely that Myles Borne could be on the main roster and ready for a match of that level.
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4. Edge
Probably the least likely to be able to line up in regards to timeline, one of the more emotionally compelling opponents for Randy Orton is Edge.
Adam Copeland remains signed to AEW and has commented on his plans to retire from competition after the end of his current AEW contract, but perhaps he could be persuaded into one more WWE match for a special occasion.
Their Backlash 2020 match was billed as the “Greatest Match Ever”, but due to the pandemic, the performance was not in front of a stadium full of fans and rather in front of an extremely limited crowd at the Performance Center.
It would be amazing to see this pair of former Tag Team Champions tangle one for the last time in WWE.
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3. Kevin Owens
While Kevin Owens is out of action at the minute and his future remains to be seen, having one last fiery showdown between Owens and Randy Orton would be poetic.
Similarly to Cody Rhodes, Orton has a long history with Owens that includes being friends, foes and everything in between.
Since their WrestleMania 41 showdown couldn’t take place, as Owens was replaced by Joe Hendry, perhaps it will be revisited in the future.
With both performers having given so much of themselves and their bodies to WWE, both are well-deserving of their ideal retirement stories.
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2. Charlie Dempsey
While there are other NXT entries on the list, Charlie Dempsey is a specific nod to Orton’s own history.
With both men looking to find unique ways to change perceptions of what they’re able to do through the lens of their famous fathers, it could be a very cool story to tell should Dempsey go about his career in some way that Orton did not respect.
Perhaps Dempsey headed for a future where he turns on his own dad, William Regal, leading to Orton seeking vengeance.
A similar case can be made for Lexis King (son of Brian Pillman), Brooks Jensen (son of Bull Buchanan), or anyone else that is considered generational and could incense Orton with an utter lack of respect for history.
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1. Declan McMahon
Since Randy Orton has noted in the past he plans to wrestle until the age of 50 (he is currently 45), it stands to reason that his last opponent may not even be wrestling yet.
However, there is someone seemingly built to be an NIL talent in NXT when they’ve completed their collegiate football career – Declan McMahon.
Having commented in the past that he would definitely give WWE a try in the future, perhaps we will see one of Shane O-Mac’s sons retire Randy Orton.
According to McMahon’s IG bio, he is also the co-founder of a new nicotine business venture launching soon, so perhaps he has entirely different career ambitions in mind after graduation.
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