Set number: X161332 TK1
After being out of action since May 2022 with a back injury, 14-time world champion Randy Orton will return to WWE programming at Survivor Series WarGames.
Cody Rhodes announced the news at the end of WWE Raw on Monday:
WWE @WWE
He’s baaaaaaaack! 🐍#SurvivorSeries #WarGames pic.twitter.com/eHEypOng8j
Rhodes teased Orton as the fifth member at the start of the show:
WWE @WWE
“I have an old friend I can call…”#WWERaw < a href="https://t.co/zwHI8vtwvF">pic.twitter.com/zwHI8vtwvF
Fans now just have to wait a little longer to see the superstar in action.
Orton was last seen in WWE on the May 20, 2022 episode of SmackDown, when he and Matt Riddle lost the Raw Tag Team Championship to The Usos in a match for the Raw and SmackDown titles.
After The Usos’ victory, they put Orton on commentary and Riddle announced on the following episode of Raw that The Viper would be out for a while with a back problem.
Combative selection (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News) reported in November that he had undergone lower back fusion surgery. Although no specific timetable was given for his return, it was noted that he would be out for “an extended period of time.”
Before his injury, Orton was one half of RK-Bro along with Riddle and they were one of the most popular acts in the entire group.
While The Viper was previously best known as a solo artist, usually playing a serious, villainous character, fans rallied behind him and showed off his happier side.
This once again proved that Orton can be an asset to the WWE in many ways, as he can generate consistent reactions as a heel or babyface, as a single star or tag team wrestler, and in the main event or in the middle of the card.
At 43, Orton has seen and done it all in WWE, and more than 20 years into his career, he has little left to prove.
Nevertheless, The Apex Predator is one of the most popular and well-known artists in the industry, and his presence is said to have an extremely positive impact on the company.
WWE already has a star-studded roster of male Superstars, led by Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins and many others, and Orton should be back among the best once he returns.
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