The Apex Predator is back. Following Cody Rhodes’s not-so-subtle teases of his team’s mystery partner for WWE Survivor Series, WWE confirmed that Randy Orton will indeed join forces with his former stablemate in his upcoming War Games match. Rhodes and Orton make up an all-star squad that also includes WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, Jey Uso and Sami Zayn. This five-man unit has The Judgment Day in their scopes and will go toe-to-toe with WWE Monday Night Raw‘s most dominant faction inside the double steel cage. This match will be Orton’s first time wrestling since May 2022, as he has been out of action for over 18 months with a back injury.
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The WWE landscape has changed drastically in that time, especially within the televised rosters. While Orton has been wrestling for over two decades, there are still plenty of fresh opponents for him on both WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown.
Tommaso Ciampa
Leg slap.
Back in 2020, Orton took to Twitter to sarcastically praise NXT: In Your House, pointing out how often he catches NXT stars slapping their legs to create a sound effect for kicks and knee strikes. Tommaso Ciampa took exception with this, responding by saying Orton’s matches put him to sleep. To this day, Ciampa and Orton have only traded offense online, as they have yet to share a ring together.
Now that the two are both members of the WWE Monday Night Raw roster, this long-awaited confrontation can finally go down.
Chad Gable
This would be fun.
Chad Gable has had a career year in 2023, cementing himself as one of WWE’s top workhorses. His WWE Intercontinental Title feud with Gunther showed fans that the former NXT Tag Team Champion is more than capable of becoming a main-event talent. A match against Orton would skyrocket that agenda.
There might not be a juicy, layered feud here, but Gable and Orton’s in-ring styles alone would make for magic.
Grayson Waller
After 18 months away from the ring, Randy Orton could really use the Grayson Waller rub.
Waller has been one of WWE’s most seamless NXT call-ups in recent memory, taking to the main roster with ease. He has already thrived when put in big time situations, like a promo battle with John Cena and a Madison Square Garden main event match against Edge.
Waller vs. Orton is a simple story. The young prospect targets the old-timer, seeking to make a name for himself by taking the veteran’s spot. Simple does not mean bad either, as Waller has proven he can take the bare minimum and make gold.
Cody Rhodes
Sticking with Orton’s WWE Survivor Series teammates…
The Orton vs. Rhodes feud writes itself. These two have history that dates back to the very start of Rhodes’s wrestling career, as Orton brought him into prominence when he formed Legacy, a stable consisting of multi-generational stars. Orton and Rhodes have feuded before as well, with a heel iteration of the American Nightmare targeting the Apex Predator in 2011.
12 years later, WWE has the opportunity to reverse the roles, making Orton the villain in a rivalry with Rhodes.
Jey Uso
Not everyone is ecstatic about Orton’s comeback.
While Cody Rhodes was teasing The Viper’s return, Jey Uso had the fear of God in his eyes. This is because in storyline, Jey is partially responsible for Orton’s injury. Back when he was in The Bloodline, Jey and his family attacked Orton in that aforementioned May 2022 match, writing him off of television in the process.
Both Jey and Randy are technically faces right now, but that doesn’t mean they will be best friends. Look for WWE to capitalize on Jey’s fear by furthering tension between himself and Randy inside the War Games match, eventually leading to a singles clash between the two.
