5 Finishes for Randy Orton vs Sami Zayn in the King of the Ring semifinals

WWE Superstars Randy Orton and Sami Zayn will be facing each other in the semifinal of the King of the Ring Tournament. Both babyfaces will be gunning to secure a win and go to Night of Champions for the finals.

While Zayn has some good momentum behind him right now, The Viper, who was the runner-up of last year’s KOTR, could come out on top. Here are five ways the bout between the two wrestlers could end.

#5 Karrion Kross could ambush Sami Zayn

Karrion Kross could ambush Sami Zayn during the semifinal round of the King of the Ring Tournament and cost him the match against Randy Orton. Especially after the OG Bloodline member may have recently provoked the wrath of the former two-time NXT Champion.

Karrion Kross has been trailing Sami Zayn like a shadow for several months. The Herald of Doomsday has been trying to convince the OG Bloodline member to think selfishly and bring out his dark side. He even stated that he could have been a 10-time world champion by now if he hadn’t played the good guy.

The former four-time Intercontinental Champion has steered clear of Kross’ schemes and always asked him to leave him alone. Interestingly, after he advanced to the KOTR semifinals, the former Final Testament leader congratulated Zayn. He even lauded him for following his message and using LA Knight’s offense to secure the win.

However, Sami Zayn got mad and said he won because he was good enough and not because of using any selfish schemes. He also once again asked Kross to stay away from him. This could put Zayn on the bad side of Kross, who could then end his world championship dream by costing him the semifinal match.

#4 Randy Orton turns into The Legend Killer

After returning from his injury at the 2025 Elimination Chamber PLE, Randy Orton has noted that the voices in his head are back. Following this, fans have almost seen the return of The Legend Killer, with Orton almost landing Punt Kicks on Kevin Owens, Carmelo Hayes, and John Cena. However, the semifinal of KOTR could see Orton resurrect his menacing persona.

Notably, The Apex Predator has said that he needs his 15th WWE World Championship at any cost, and he won’t hesitate to mow through his friends. Thus, if Randy Orton finds himself on the losing end, he could choose to unleash his Punt Kick on Sami Zayn.

Unlike the previous instances, nobody would be available to protect the Canadian wrestler. Orton could also use further unfair means to put Zayn down. This would also mark the heel turn of The Viper, who will then face the winner of Jey Uso vs Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions in the KOTR finals.

#3 Sami Zayn could punch a clean ticket to the finals

Considering that both wrestlers in the equation are babyfaces, it is likely that they would fight a clean match without resorting to any underhanded tricks. If no interferences take place either, the better man would clinch the spot for the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament. Interestingly, there is a chance that this man could be Sami Zayn.

The OG Bloodline member could also be WWE’s choice to win the finals of the KOTR at Night of Champions and challenge Gunther at SummerSlam. Moreover, this could also further the Karrion Kross angle in the Canadian’s storyline, where he may take advantage of a situation, like an unexpected injury or a bad bump taken by his friends in the tournament.

Thus, Kross’ mentality could then weigh heavily on Zayn, who would then stand a chance to turn heel, win the World Heavyweight Championship, or both.

#2 Drew McIntyre could cost Randy Orton

Drew McIntyre has been away from active programming since his Saturday Night’s Main Event Steel Cage Match loss to Damian Priest in May 2025. The conclusion of his feud with Priest currently leaves The Scottish Warrior with no active rivalries or storylines. However, he could make his WWE return and attack Randy Orton to begin a new feud with The Viper.

With this, he would cost The Apex Predator a spot in the KOTR finals. This would give Drew McIntyre another top-tier opponent to feud with after CM Punk and Priest. Moreover, this would also set the stage for The Viper to turn heel down the line and potentially attack Cody Rhodes if he dethrones John Cena and wins the Undisputed Championship.

#1 Seth Rollins could get his revenge on Sami Zayn

Seth Rollins had challenged Jey Uso for the World Heavyweight Championship shortly after his heel turn following WrestleMania 41. While The Visionary would have dethroned Mr. Yeet with the help of Bron Breakker, Sami Zayn, and CM Punk didn’t allow it to happen. Their interference prevented The Yeet Master from getting dethroned.

This happened shortly after Seth Rollins had punished the OG Bloodline member for standing against him instead of joining his alliance or moving to SmackDown. Since Zayn is still an active part of the wrestlers opposing him, The Architect could make the Canadian pay for his stance and cost him the KOTR semifinal match. It would be interesting to see what lies ahead for Randy Orton and Sami Zayn.

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