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Legendary wrestling booker Dutch Mantell would like to see Randy Orton return to WWE television in the near future to feud with Dominik Mysterio.
Orton has not wrestled since teaming up with Matt Riddle in a losing effort against The Usos on the May 20, 2022, episode of SmackDown. The 14-time world champion is currently out of action due to a serious back injury.
On his Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast, Mantell explained why Rey Mysterio's 26-year-old son should take on Orton:
"I think having Randy Orton challenge Dominik would create interest because he's been out for a year, year and a half, maybe more, and he's over. So when he walks out there, and he don't have that Matt Riddle to carry that excess baggage, all those problems that guy had. Randy Orton is a loner anyway. He works better in the loner fashion." [1:58:24 – 1:59:03]
In May, The Viper's father Bob Orton Jr. told Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter that doctors advised his son to never wrestle again. It remains unclear whether he will ever return to the ring.
How Dutch Mantell would book Dominik Mysterio vs. Randy Orton
If a rivalry between the two materializes, Dutch Mantell thinks there should be a limited amount of physicality before the first singles match.
The 73-year-old would like to see the storyline begin with one superstar slapping the other to create buzz ahead of a premium live event bout:
"He [Orton] ends up slapping Dominik or Dominik ends up slapping him," Mantell continued. "One or the other. It's all you need. You don't need an a**-kicking. You just need a slap because that's embarrassing. You know when you punch somebody, you gotta go fight. If you slap somebody, they have time to [build to a match]." [1:59:13 – 1:59:32]
Mysterio currently holds the NXT North American Championship. On October 3, he recaptured the title from Trick Williams on NXT just three days after losing the gold to the same opponent at No Mercy.
Would you like to see Dominik Mysterio vs. Randy Orton? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
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