Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal rekindled their longstanding rivalry in a grudge match, competing against one another for the first time ever on SmackDown LIVE and for the first time since The Great Khali cost The Viper the chance to regain the WWE Championship from The Modern-Day Maharaja by interfering in their Punjabi Prison Match at WWE Battleground.

After earning the right to challenge Mahal for the WWE Title at SummerSlam by defeating John Cena last week on SmackDown LIVE, Shinsuke Nakamura observed Team Blue’s epic main event from backstage.

With great familiarity and the personal fire still burning strong from their battles over the WWE Championship, neither The Viper nor The Modern-Day Maharaja wasted any time in throwing down in the Team Blue main event. The two Superstars traded blows with great ferocity, and with The Singh Brothers recovering from recent injuries and not in the arena, Orton broke through by reversing Mahal’s Khallas into a ring-shaking RKO outta nowhere for the win. 

The Apex Predator didn’t have too long to celebrate, however, as his SummerSlam opponent, Rusev, suddenly bolted onto the stage and blindsided him with a devastating kick to the head, leaving The Viper down as SmackDown LIVE concluded. Orton may have vanquished one foe, but a new challenge clearly awaits.