With Randy Orton’s dramatic heel turn against Cody Rhodes still reverberating for fans, a brand new heel faction could be coming soon.
From former friends of Cody’s that Orton could recruit to call-ups from NXT who could fit the bill, there are a lot of intriguing options.
Here are six WWE stars to join a brand new heel faction led by Randy Orton.
6. Sami Zayn
Recently teasing a shift to heel side, Sami Zayn has had no shortage of problematic interactions backstage with Cody Rhodes.
While Zayn seems to be making a heel shift regardless, it could be that his admiration for Randy Orton comes into play soon.
With their latest scuffle backstage at SmackDown leading to Sami Zayn to tell Cody Rhodes that he looks up to Orton but not Rhodes, Cody instead told him to look up to the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Teasing not only another friend turning enemy for Cody Rhodes but also a continued Sami Zayn heel turn, linking him up to Randy Orton makes complete sense.
5. Damian Priest
One possible SmackDown star that could join forces with Randy Orton but isn’t even a heel at the minute is Damian Priest.
Although possibly linking up with Randy Orton, it could be that Priest still turns heel on SmackDown albeit nothing to do with The Viper.
After Priest formed an unlikely alliance with R-Truth, the duo are now set for a future WWE Tag Team Championship match against The MFTs.
Seemingly likely to launch his new heel persona off of the back of turning on R-Truth (again), Damian Priest could certainly see a big shift in attitude soon albeit nothing to do with Orton.
4. Lexis King
With the Birthright faction led by Lexis King and consisting of Arianna Grace, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Uriah Conners, and Charlie Dempsey, perhaps Randy Orton could easily recruit King and get the whole crew.
The timing of a potential heel faction to form before WrestleMania 42 and possibly extending until SummerSlam 2026 may be the perfect for an NXT crossover.
Lexis King was the one to make a recent announcement that his Father Brian Pillman would be returning to the WWE 2K franchise. Marking his first appearance in the game since WWE 2K17, Pillman will be a brand new unlockable character.
With other Class of 2026 Hall of Famers like Demolition and Stephanie McMahon receiving special DLC nods, perhaps this year is finally the year the “Loose Cannon” gets inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
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3. Trick Williams
A solid heel ally for Randy Orton on SmackDown could come in the form of someone he has already tangled with, Trick Williams.
With Orton’s new vicious streak likely to be admired by Williams, who continues to be presented as a heel despite his overwhelming fan support — Trick Willy could be looking to get into The Viper’s orbit as a means to an end.
Without an immediate path forward, it could always come together that Trick Williams unites with Randy Orton today only to betray him down the line.
Possibly setting up a babyface turn moment down the road for Williams, particularly if he ends up helping Cody Rhodes regain the title, could certainly set up a legendary feud for the future.
2. Aleister Black
Since it seems that Aleister Black is attempting to recruit multiple stars backstage at SmackDown to the dark side, it could be that his motives align nicely with Randy Orton’s.
If Black was able to convince Sami Zayn to turn heel to support Orton, Black could become a quiet puppet master of the new Orton faction, a detail that would only be revealed later.
Potentially leading to a future babyface return for Randy Orton when his newly accumulated allies turn on him (similarly to the addition of Finn Balor to Judgment Day spurring the excommunication of Edge), Black would take over the group.
Allowing for a compelling Randy Orton redemption arc, a detail his character hasn’t really played out on-screen rather just became a naturally fun-loving star over time organically, bringing The Viper back to the light side could be just as interesting.
1. Ethan Page
Another compelling call-up to the main roster that could join the brigade against Cody Rhodes in WWE ahead of WrestleMania 42 is Ethan Page.
With Randy Orton likely to surround himself by some of the biggest Cody Rhodes foes he can as he builds a squad heading into Las Vegas, Page would be a solid shout.
Since fans who closely follow wrestling may recall that Page and Rhodes are real-life legitimate friends (rather than work proximity associates), making the added element of betrayal even more dastardly.
Bringing along another pal of Rhodes from NXT in Ricky Saints could create the perfect brand new tag team on SmackDown in Page & Saints but also add even more heat to the WrestleMania 42 build between Orton and Rhodes.
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