Kit number: X161332 TK1
After being sidelined since May 2022 due to 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
It’s baaaaack! 🐍#SurvivorSeries #WarGames pic.twitter.com/eHEypOng8j
Rhodes mocked Orton as the fifth member earlier in the show:
WWE @WWE
“I have an old friend I can call…”#WWERaw < a href="https://t.co/zwHI8vtwvF">pic.twitter.com/zwHI8vtwvF
Fans will now have to wait a little longer to see the star in action.
Orton was last seen in WWE on the May 20, 2022, episode of SmackDown when he and Matt Riddle dropped the Raw Tag Team Championship to The Usos in a winner-take-all match for the Raw and SmackDown titles.
After The Usos won, they put Orton at the announce table, and Riddle revealed on the following episode of Raw that The Viper would be out for a while due to a back ailment.
Combat choice (free H Jenkins From Ringside News) in November that he underwent surgery on his lower back. While no specific timetable has been set for his return, it has been noted that he will be absent for a “long period of time.”
Prior to his injury, Orton was one half of the RK-Bro tag team with Riddle, and they were among the most popular acts in the entire company.
While The Viper was previously known as a solo act usually playing a serious and mischievous character, fans have rallied behind him showing off his more playful side.
It also demonstrated Orton’s ability to be an asset to WWE in countless ways, as he could garner consistent reactions as a heel or babyface, a singles star or tag team wrestler, and in the main event or mid-card.
At 43 years old, Orton has seen and done it all in WWE, and has little left to prove more than 20 years into his career.
However, Apex Predator is among the most popular and well-known artists in the industry, and his presence will have a huge positive impact on the company.
WWE already has a star-studded roster of superstars headlined by Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins and a host of others, and Orton should be among the best again now that he’s back.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.
Future teen idol. Typical social media ninja. Alcohol buff. Explorer. Creator. Beer advocate.”