The March 27, 2026, episode of WWE SmackDown ended in total chaos. Randy Orton hit an RKO on Jelly Roll during a heated brawl with Cody Rhodes. This itself was quite surprising, but probably not as much as the fan reactions after the show.
The brawl came after Orton beat Matt Cardona in the main event. The Viper showed his more aggressive side and targeted Cardona’s injured arm the whole match. He ultimately finished him with an RKO, but things didn’t end there.
Cody Rhodes then made his way to the ring and went straight after Orton, seeking revenge for his past beatdown. The two started fighting all over the place. Security tried to stop them.
As things got more intense, Jelly Roll came out, likely trying to calm things down. But it didn’t work. Orton suddenly broke free and hit Jelly Roll with an RKO. The Viper then left the ring, smiling at the chaos he caused.
Jelly Roll had been worried about this changed version of Randy Orton. He had confronted The Viper earlier about this, asking him to fix his mistakes. But Orton didn’t listen. Tonight, before Cardona vs. Orton took place, Roll had a backstage interaction with Cardona where he again reiterated that this is not the Randy Orton that he knew and loved.
But even though the former WWE Champion is playing the villain, fans didn’t react the way one would normally expect.
Fans react after Randy Orton hits Jelly Roll with an RKO on SmackDown
After the show, social media was full of reactions, and many fans supported Randy Orton. Some fans said things like the show focused too much on Jelly Roll, while others called the RKO the biggest moment of the night.
Some just enjoyed the moment, even asking for Orton’s famous punt kick. A user tweeted, “He deserved it for that shit World cup song ffs Jelly Roll ??FOH.”
These reactions show something interesting. WWE seems to be trying hard to make fans hate Orton by making him do the worst acts. But at this point in his career, the WWE crowd won’t “boo” or hate him, whether he turns heel or stays a babyface. SmackDown’s fan reaction just proves it.
This could be tricky for WWE going into WrestleMania 42. Rhodes is supposed to be the hero, but fans cheering Orton might change how the story plays out.
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