Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens was canceled after wild brawl

Kevin Owens was scheduled to face Randy Orton at WWE Crown Jewel, but the match never took place as the friends-turned-rivals got into a wild brawl before the bell rang.

In a heated duel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Owens attacked Orton with a steel chair before the match, and the two former world champions brawled at ringside and in the crowd, with Orton even attacking Raw General Manager Adam Pearce with a brutal one RKO scored. The melee ended with Owens hitting a huge senton through Orton, who was sitting on a table in the crowd.

Well, if there was ever any hope of a reconciliation between Orton and Owens, Crown Jewel has completely dashed it.

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Over the past few months, Owens and Orton have formed one of the most unlikely friendships in recent WWE history. Since both stars were notoriously untrustworthy, the glue that held them together was their friendship with Cody Rhodes.

Then everything collapsed. A jealous and angry Owens attacked Rhodes backstage and then did the same to Orton. The result? The dissolution of one of the most star-studded trios WWE has ever assembled and an unforgettable brawl at Crown Jewel.

For anyone who knows how Owens betrayed his supposed friends, this shouldn't have come as much of a surprise.

One of the best villains of his era, Owens remained relevant in major storylines despite only winning one world title in nearly a decade on the main roster. This has contributed to his recent betrayal of Orton and Rhodes, with his desire to become world champion again clearly contributing to the implosion of their trio.

Of course, there's another elephant in the room: Owens' contract status.

There are rumors that Owens, whose WWE contract expires in early 2025, may have already re-signed, and it's safe to say that Owens' recent on-screen hints about leaving WWE actually suggest he's not going anywhere . Nor should that be the case, despite the clear interest from AEW, who will likely do everything in their power to get him.

Although he didn't win any world titles, Owens was an important part of the WWE program for much of his career, and especially in the last few years. During this time, he competed in two WrestleManias and even brought “Stone Cold” Steve Austin out of retirement.

Now Owens is once again being pushed as a mega heel, and following his brawl with Orton at Crown Jewel, he remains embroiled in bitter rivalries with Orton and Owens.

While the WWE doesn't typically offer big pay-per-view matches, this may have been necessary as Owens is still in the early stages of his success and is reportedly set for a big WWE Championship match against Rhodes, be it at Survivor Series or returning Main event on Saturday evening. WWE has done a great job of turning the wildly popular Owens into a heel again, using his attacks on Orton and Rhodes – two of WWE's most popular stars – as a catalyst for a mega-push as one of the world's most despicable villains .

Will this actually lead to a world title win for Owens? That seems unlikely considering Rhodes is the face of WWE and appears poised to hold the world title well into 2025. What is certain, however, is that Owens is benefiting from his heel turn and his heated feud with Orton.

Now it's just a matter of when – not if – Orton and Owens will meet in a huge and highly anticipated match. Then Owens can set his sights firmly on Rhodes and the WWE Championship.