5 Ways Randy Orton's WWE return can change the game

Randy Orton
Randy Orton

WWE star Randy Orton, who has many nicknames including The Viper and WWE's Apex Predator, has been absent from television since defeating Triple H at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia. Despite being a longtime veteran of the company, Randy Orton remains in great shape and can still be a major impact player in WWE.

Reports indicate Orton had vacation time scheduled following the Super ShowDown PPV, and new reports, including a report from Fightful.com, are indicating Orton is also dealing with a neck injury. The report furthers that the injury does not appear to be serious, and Orton is expected to be making his return to WWE TV in the very near future, although a return date has not been announced.

With The Viper poised to make his return to WWE TV, during a time in which the company is undergoing numerous changes creatively and cosmetically, let's take a look at five ways Randy Orton's return can change the game in WWE.


#5 The non-PG voices need to return to Orton's head

Randy Orton
Randy Orton

Randy Orton was arguably at his best when he was the devilish heel which birthed his theme song "Voices". The lyrics of the song, which include lines such as "I hear voices in my head, they talk to me they understand," helped to color a Randy Orton character who was maniacal, methodical, and downright evil.

The above version of Orton was somewhat of an extension of his "Legend Killer" character, in which Orton was shelving top legends such as Rob Van Dam and Ric Flair on his quest to destroy everything in WWE and capture top championships. Orton even attacked The Fabulous Moolah at one point, truly cementing his heel character.

With WWE seemingly making a return to more risque television, and straying somewhat from its strict PG model, now would be the perfect time to reintroduce fans to the true demon known as The Viper, and allow Orton to work as a major heel.

#4 Randy Orton should steal The New Day

Randy Orton vs Triple H
Randy Orton vs Triple H

Ever since Kofi Kingston captured the WWE Title at WrestleMania 35, fans have been of the belief that now might be a good time for either Big E or Xavier Woods to turn heel on Kingston, effectively breaking up The New Day.

With Randy Orton set to return to TV soon, a possible creative idea could see The Viper return to TV and align himself with a heel version of The New Day.

In my piece last week regarding the top 5 WWE Superstars who need to turn heel right now, I noted that both Xavier Woods and Big E could freshen up their characters in WWE with heel turns, and Randy Orton could join them as their new, sadistic leader.

Should Orton return to Smackdown Live with the intention of challenging Kofi Kingston for the WWE Title, the company's Apex Predator could make life very hellish for Kingston if he were to seduce both Xavier Woods and Big E to join him on his quest to destroy the WWE Champion.

#3 Hand Randy Orton over to Paul Heyman

Randy Orton vs Triple H
Randy Orton vs Triple H

Randy Orton has been a staple of the SmackDown Live brand for quite sometime now, so a move to Monday Night Raw could also help shakeup WWE creative and Orton's character direction.

With Paul Heyman now running the show on Monday nights, it might be a good idea to allow the ECW mastermind to work with a heel Randy Orton, as Heyman might be able to help restore Orton to the non-PG version of The Viper fans adored so many years ago. Heyman is already slowly moving WWE away from kid-friendly to teen-friendly, and Orton could be a great tool in Heyman's box.

Fresh feuds also await Randy Orton on the red brand, as Orton could make an immediate impact on Raw by challenging Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Title. A mega-heel in Randy Orton facing the top babyface in the company right now could be a major feud with SummerSlam or Survivor Series headlining potential.

#2 The Wyatt Fiends

Randy Orton
Randy Orton

Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt both find themselves at interesting times in their careers, as Wyatt recently underwent a major character overhaul, and Randy Orton is due for a change.

Orton and Wyatt famously feuded back in 2017, a rivalry which culminated in a match between The Viper and The Eater of Worlds at WrestleMania 33. Prior to the feud, however, Orton was actually a temporary member of The Wyatt Family before turning on the group and beginning his battle against Bray.

In 2017, the entire Orton/Wyatt program received mixed reviews, with many fans disliking the final match which took place at WrestleMania. But, with Bray Wyatt re-entering the WWE fold as the leader of the Firefly Funhouse and Randy Orton in need of freshening up, a pairing of Wyatt and Orton could lead to great things as we enter an edgier era in WWE.

Even better - since we do not yet know on which brand Bray Wyatt will return, could anyone imagine Orton, Wyatt, Xavier Woods and Big E forming a massive heel faction?

#1 Bring back the Punt Kick

Randy Orton vs Triple H
Randy Orton vs Triple H

The punt kick was the signature move of the most evil version of Randy Orton, but years ago, the offensive devastator disappeared from Orton's repertoire.

When the punt kick was first banned in WWE, reports theorized there were two main reasons why officials decided to pull the move from Randy Orton's arsenal. The first report suggested that the move violated the PG nature of WWE's TV programming, and the second report theorized that with concussion awareness becoming a hot topic in sports, WWE decided to nix the move to avoid potential serious injury.

However, with WWE possibly moving away from its PG programming, and Randy Orton being able to pull the move off in a very safe way, it seems as if WWE could reintroduce the punt kick effectively.

Seth Rollins previously had his curb stomp finishing move pulled, but the move was later reinstated and renamed The Stomp. If Rollins can effectively and safely use his Stomp move in the ring, there appears to be no reason why Randy Orton cannot bring back one of his signature maneuvers.


How would you like to see Randy Orton used when he returns to WWE TV? Let us know in the comment section!

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