Randy Orton Moving Closer To WWE Return

With every passing week, doubts over Randy Orton’s WWE return continue to disappear.

The Viper hasn’t been seen in a WWE ring since the May 20th, 2022 episode of SmackDown. On the show, Orton and Matt Riddle lost the Raw Tag Team Titles to The Usos.

After the match, the pair were attacked by the entire Bloodline, with the beatdown used to write Orton off television.

It was soon reported that Orton had been struggling with a back injury that was getting progressively worse. Although the star and WWE hoped to avoid surgery. Despite this, Orton underwent surgery before the end of 2022, with some believing his career was hanging in the balance.

Even though the surgery was successful, it was reported that Orton had been advised to retire. After being pictured at the WWE Performance Center, it appears that he’s ignoring that advice.

In recent weeks it’s been reported that the long-awaited comeback could happen at Survivor Series. In the latest update in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Survivor Series is the “suggested time frame” for Orton’s return.

“When asked about Orton returning at Survivor Series, we were told that is the suggested time frame, so likely about a month or so. His doctor did suggest he retire due to back issues but Orton makes a ton of money and really wants to go until he’s 50 if at all possible.”

Randy Orton’s WWE Return “Is Happening”

The report from Meltzer comes after a different report noted that WWE will be throwing its full weight behind the star. The report from Wrestle Votes stated that new merchandise and branding is on the way, while WWE will present a large amount of social media and promtional material for his return.