Kevin Owens has been on a tear over the last few months. Ever since his brutal heel turn, Owens has been delivering some of the best work of his career, putting on back-to-back barnburners against Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn.
Owens’ WrestleMania opponent, though, might be his first victim — Randy Orton. The Viper made his SmackDown return on March 7, effectively kicking off their feud with a ruthless promo aimed at Owens. And in the process, Orton gave fans a teaser of his most dangerous side yet.
Pat McAfee Bows Down to Randy Orton
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Orton was an absolute menace in the ring. Fully embracing his Apex Predator persona, he crafted the perfect heel character, and his actions were downright diabolical.
One of the most brutal staples of that run was his punt kick — a devastating move that saw Orton charge forward and blast opponents in the head. At Elimination Chamber, fans got the first glimpse of him bringing that persona back, setting the stage for revenge on Owens.
While he didn’t get to land the move, Orton made it clear that he’s looking to bring it back just for KO — capping off his message with a sharp dig at Pat McAfee.
“I’m going to prove in short order that Pat McAfee is only the second-greatest punter in WWE.”
List of the Greatest Punters in #WWE 👀
1. @RandyOrton 🐍
2. @PatMcAfeeShow 🏈 #SmackDown #WWEonNetflix pic.twitter.com/qbkHE0HDnY— WatchWrestling (@Watch_WWE_X) March 8, 2025
Rather than take offense, the former Indianapolis Colts punter wholeheartedly agreed.
“Holy S***… I agree,”** wrote McAfee on X.
Meanwhile, Orton was locked in, looking like a man possessed as he delivered another chilling statement.
“The voices started talking to me again. And those voices, they told me to back up, measure my mark, and kick Kevin Owens in the head so freaking hard that even his closest family members wouldn’t recognize his face.”
Owens put Orton out of action (in storyline) for nearly four months with a brutal, banned piledriver. Now, Orton has every right to be angry, and he’s not holding back.
This already heated rivalry just kicked into high gear. And if Owens’ recent work is anything to go by, he’s only going to take it even further, potentially leading to a stipulation match at WrestleMania.