WWE News: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton at Summerslam is now official
Jul 8, 2016 at 5:16 PM
The speculations were running rampant all week long about who would be Brock Lesnar’s opponent at Summerslam. As per the previous reports, it turned out to be none other than the Viper, Randy Orton who will be going toe-to-toe against the beast, Brock Lesnar.
Multiple sources had already reported that the returning Viper will be the dance partner for Orton at the summer’s biggest party and it looked like the rumors were right all the way. WWE has previously shown a footage on Smackdown and thereby declared it for the first time.
IT’S OFFICIAL! #TheBeast @BrockLesnar will go one-on-one with #TheViper @RandyOrton at @WWE #SummerSlam! #SmackDown https://t.co/8bjUgryhSq
— WWE (@WWE) July 8, 2016
Upon the revelation, on the official website, they posted the following and made it official: (courtesy wwe.com)
“The summer of dream matches continues Sunday, Aug. 21 when Randy Orton returns to the ring to lock horns with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. The blockbuster encounter was made official on tonight’s SmackDown.
Despite being two perennial main eventers who trained side-by-side during their formative years at one time WWE developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling, The Apex Predator and The Beast Incarnate have only competed against each other once before in a WWE ring. It happened in September 2002, when both were still WWE rookies. Lesnar, already a month into his reign as WWE Champion, took the victory that night.”
Randy Orton has been sidelined from the ring from last October 2015 due to a shoulder injury. It was previously reported, that he is being advertised to return in a live event of Hidalgo in the month of August prior to Summerslam. Brock Lesnar, on the other hand, is scheduled to fight Mark Hunt in the UFC 200 pay-per-view on July 9th and upon the conclusion of the UFC bout, he is expected to be back in WWE for Summerslam.
As stated by WWE, the two have faced each other only once in their career during an episode of Smackdown in the year 2002. Orton was treated as a rookie back then whereas Lesnar headed to go on as the next “big thing” and became the youngest (25 years) world champion in history. Though, a couple of years later, it was Randy Orton who broke the record by becoming the World heavyweight Champion at an age of 24 years.