Aleister Black revealed that a match with Randy Orton was pitched for WrestleMania 42 this past April in Las Vegas, telling the story during an appearance on the ZELVX and CHARLIE GIRL podcast.
Black said that about four months out from WrestleMania, he started working with Jason Baker on a new smoking jacket that would carry a hidden smoke device, with Xelina set to trigger the effect during his entrance.
The former WWE star put it plainly:
“Initially, the plan was for WrestleMania because up until that point, the pitch for me and Randy Orton was WrestleMania.”
PWInsider had already reported back in April that a pitch presented in January had Black tormenting Orton in an effort to bring back the old Apex Predator. The two were set to square off over WrestleMania weekend, before Orton turned the Punt Kick on Cody Rhodes instead.
The Black-Orton story did make it to WWE TV, and twice at that. Orton beat Black and Solo Sikoa in an Elimination Chamber Triple Threat Qualifying Match on February 6, and two weeks later Black turned the tables in the SmackDown main event after Drew McIntyre interfered.
In the end, Orton challenged Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship on night one of WrestleMania 42 and came up short. Black, meanwhile, was left off the card entirely, settling for the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal the night before.