​Photo by WWE/Getty ImagesMalakai Black has claimed there was a potential pitch for him to face Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42.Orton, of course, had a key role at this year’s Mania, featuring in the Night 1 main event against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.Randy lost that match, which included him turning on Pat McAfee before he was pinned by Rhodes.Now, Malakai Black, also known as Aleister Black, has mentioned there was talk he could have faced Orton on that show.Photo by Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty ImagesMalakai Black says there was a pitch for him to face Randy Orton at WrestleManiaAs quoted by Fightful Wrestling on X/Twitter, when speaking on the ‘ZELVX and CHARLIE GIRL‘ podcast, Black said: “I was able to debut my smoking jacket, which is a funny story because four months before WrestleMania, this is not a knock on Seth because Seth had no idea.“But I started talking to Jason (Baker), and I said, ‘I have this smoke device, and I want to put it under my cloak’, and during our entrance, she would have the remote and when I roll in and sit, she would press the button and smoke would come out of my jacket.“Initially, the plan was for WrestleMania because up until that point, the pitch for me and Randy Orton was WrestleMania.“Obviously, that never saw the light of day, but I didn’t want to dump the jacket.”However, despite briefly interacting with Orton earlier in 2026, that match never happened.Instead, Black made his final WWE appearance on April 17 before reports emerged a week later that he’d been released from his contract.He is now back on the independent circuit, and is the current Progress Men’s World Champion.Read more:WWE’s ‘scam’ problem continues as Pennsylvania man loses over $40,000CM Punk’s serious medical issue that helps him sell WWE matches, ‘I don’t know what’s going on’WWE’s plans for Australia PLE’s revealed as one of the ‘big four’ could head down under