Is Randy Orton returning to WWE? A look at everything we know so far

Randy Orton has been out of action for a month following a brutal assault from The Bloodline. However, it seems like fans won't be able to write off The Viper just yet.

It all started on May 20, 2022, when The Usos faced RK-BRO for a unification match between the RAW and SmackDown tag team titles. As the match concluded, Roman Reigns interfered which caused Randy and Riddle their championship. Despite the match coming to a close, The Bloodline continued their attack on the former RAW Tag Team Champions.

A later episode of RAW then featured Riddle alone. In the segment, he shared that Orton was experiencing back problems and was resting at home. This was the first update regarding Randy's injury. Unfortunately, recent updates about his well-being are not looking good either.

The SmackDown episode that aired the same week discussed Orton's injury further. After The Usos opened the show and bragged about their win, Michael Cole announced that the former world champion was seeing a spine specialist because of his injury.

During the same episode, WWE posted on Twitter, stating that he was undergoing consultations with neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons.

His injury has since become an inspiration for Riddle to win the world title. The Original Bro even recently teamed up with Shinsuke Nakamura in hopes of taking the title away from The Usos but came up short.

At the moment, no other updates regarding his injury have been made.

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Randy Orton's potential opponents if he returns to WWE

It's no secret that Orton has a history of turning on his partners. His alliance with Riddle was a new look for The Apex Predator, who hasn't yet betrayed the other. However, it might not take long for Orton to turn on his RK-Bro teammate and carve his own path to the world title.

Another name that could clash with Randy Orton is The Miz, who made unflattering comments toward the 42-year-old during a segment with Riddle on Miz TV.

But according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, it seems like a bigger name is on the loop for his eventual return. As per sources, it was stated that Reigns and Orton will be a possible matchup for the upcoming SummerSlam if plans don't change.

"We do know that the decision was made this week not to have Roman Reigns on the show [MITB]. Reigns vs. Riddle was the original main event. On television, Riddle challenged Reigns and the last word was this match would take place but not in Las Vegas nor on PPV. Randy Orton was still the SummerSlam plan, but everything changes weekly,'' the report stated.

Randy has not posted anything ever since his TV absence. While he is currently getting treatment, Riddle now has a match against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Title. It will be interesting to see who Randy Orton will target when he is ready to return.

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