The on-screen history between Randy Orton and IShowSpeed nearly came to a head at the “Speed Goes Pro” premiere, where the YouTuber attempted to sneak up on The Viper and deliver a revenge RKO.
Orton, however, turned around just in time, causing Speed to freeze in his tracks. The tense moment quickly broke into a hug, with Orton jokingly thanking the social media star for not hitting him with his own signature move. Even during their more friendly interaction, IShowSpeed brought up his lingering anger over their past, cementing the RKO as the defining moment of their shared WWE history.
The exchange was a direct callback to their memorable angle from last year’s WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024. During the triple threat match for the United States Championship, Orton delivered a now-famous RKO to Speed on the announcers’ table. The YouTuber, disguised as a Prime bottle, had interfered to help Logan Paul in his defense against Orton and Kevin Owens.
IShowSpeed’s involvement with WWE extends beyond his angle with Orton, as he made his official in-ring debut as a surprise entrant in the men’s Royal Rumble match in Indianapolis this past February. Though his time in the match was brief—helping Bron Breakker eliminate Otis before being quickly tossed out himself—the appearance immediately went viral. This generated massive social media engagement and underscored WWE’s strategy of leveraging major digital personalities.