Major Update on Randy Orton’s WWE Return

Randy Orton has been absent from WWE programming for well over 16 months now. The multi-time WWE Champion last wrestled on a May 2022 edition of WWE SmackDown where he and tag partner Matt Riddle lost their Raw Tag Team Championships to SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, leading to the tag titles being unified. It was understood going into that match that it would be Orton’s last bout for a while, as the Viper had been putting off back surgery for quite some time. While initial estimations indicated that Orton would only be on the shelf for a couple of months, there is still no word on when he will be back in the ring.

Randy Orton Spotted at WWE Performance Center

The Apex Predator is getting ready to strike again.

As confirmed by Fightful Select, Randy Orton has been at the WWE Performance Center this week. It’s unclear as to what he is doing inside the WWE PC as he could either be using the facilities for its gym or actually hitting the ropes and resuming in-ring training. As of early August, Orton had not yet resumed his in-ring training.

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It’s worth noting that WWE has a strict rule regarding in-ring returns in that a talent has to work out in some capacity before taking the step towards the ring. This rule was confirmed by Cody Rhodes in a recent interview.

Who Should Randy Orton’s Return Feuds Be?

If and when Orton is back in a WWE ring, he has no shortage of storylines waiting for him.

Orton’s immediate unfinished business lies in the tag division. An RK-Bro reunion with Riddle could be in the cards, as Riddle has been fairly lost in the shuffle since Orton went on the shelf. Since The Usos can lay claim to sending Orton away in storyline, Orton could join Kevin Owens on Monday Night Raw in making Jey Uso pay for his sins.

In a singles capacity, all eyes are on an Orton vs. Cody Rhodes program. Orton and Rhodes have deep-rooted history as they were former stablemates in Legacy. The two had a brief singles feud in Fall 2011 which culminated in a match at WWE Vengeance and ran it back two years later in a September 2013 bout on Monday Night Raw.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on Randy Orton’s WWE future.