On his latest Mic Check podcast, former WWE talent Ken Anderson (Mr Kennedy) mapped out a fantasy story that would have Anderson return to WWE, start with a match against LA Knight, and end with a reunion with his former rival Randy Orton.
When Anderson’s co host pitched this fantasy to him, he thought it would be a fun way for him to be re introduced back into the squared circle. Under these design specifications, Anderson would face Knight first, who was often compared to Anderson’s “Mr Kennedy” character and served to serve as a symbolic bridge from one generation to the next. At the peak of tension, Randy Orton would come in to deliver an RKO and reignite their historically explosive rivalry that had been simmering since Anderson’s notorious exit from WWE in 2009.
Anderson reflects on the rivalry
Anderson had last left fans with an ugly chapter between he and Orton: Orton allegedly filed internal reports claiming Anderson had a botched a suplex that resulted in Orton sustaining neck trauma, which ultimately contributed to Anderson’s release from WWE. However, Anderson says in hindsight, he felt responsible for his actions and the two “cleared the air” the last time he saw him backstage in Minneapolis. Anderson also acknowledged the similarities between himself and LA Knight. He was thankful for the similarities, and he mentioned that Knight is not copying him, instead, they are both portraying an exaggerated version of a type of character. (They both made it clear that Anderson did work with Knight during his NWA era, and Anderson called Knight “great” in interviews earlier this year.)
The setup for Anderson vs Knight
But here lies the setup for Anderson vs Knight, capped off with Orton offers nostalgia but also new heat. For Anderson, it is an opportunity to finish business, for WWE it provides opportunities to carry on the tradition of legacy storytelling, and for fans, it provides the dream scenario where you can encounters from the past with characters that are gaining popularity. How they execute it, when this is all said and done, will be one of the most shocking full circle moments in wrestling history.
