The World Wrestling Entertainment has prohibited piledrivers for several decades, yet it was brought into play after a gap of 11 years by Kevin Owens, leading to a staged injury for Randy Orton during the recent WWE SmackDown episode.
Post their brawl at WWE Crown Jewel last Saturday, The Viper entered the SmackDown ring with the intention to challenge Owens and settle their differences. Despite the intervention of officials to stop them from combating, they ended up not just exchanging blows but also Owens landed a powerful piledriver on his ex-ally.
Although piledrivers are a common sight in All Elite Wrestling, this marked the first instance of its use in a WWE match since CM Punk and John Cena’s episode on Monday Night RAW tracked back to February 2013. Aligning with the plot of the story, Orton was taken off the ring on a stretcher and reposed in an ambulance, thereby suggesting the high-risk nature of the move and how perilous it can turn out to be.
This is a side of Randy Orton that we haven’t seen in a long time… and we love it! 🐍🔥#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/vJb0aS55rN
— WWE (@WWE) November 9, 2024
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A PILEDRIVER???
Kevin Owens what is wrong with you??? Absolutely disgusting. This has gone too far. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/488iJjmLbV
— WWE (@WWE) November 9, 2024
How do you perceive the piledriver plot shift? Leave your insights in the comments section below!