Randy Orton’s WWE Return Date Possibly Revealed
Randy Orton could be returning to WWE sooner than many would initially have expected.
Randy Orton had the opportunity to win his 15th career WWE World Title at WrestleMania 42 when he won the Elimination Chamber match and became the #1 contender for Cody Rhodes’ WWE Championship.
Orton turned heel and savagely assaulted Rhodes, which began their feud leading into the Showcase of the Immortals. Infamously, WWE and its owners, TKO, decided to include sports celebrity and former WWE commentator Pat McAfee in the feud, who even claimed that Orton would save the business and that he would leave WWE if Orton lost.
At the time, a tag team match between Jelly Roll and Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton and Pat McAfee was pencilled in for Backlash. McAfee’s comments about quitting if Orton lost, combined with this Backlash report, led people to believe that The Viper was indeed going to win his 15th WWE World Title.
However, it wasn’t to be as it was announced days before WrestleMania 42 that Orton was injured and was physically hurting. This showed during his match with Rhodes at the Show of Shows, and even though WWE’s Creative team initially planned to have Orton win the gold (according to a report by Fightful), they changed the idea and kept the belt on Rhodes so that he could continue the WWE Title’s storyline after WrestleMania 42.
Orton was a bloodied mess following his bout with Rhodes and even used his formerly illegal punt kick to put The American Nightmare down. He then disappeared from WWE TV, but a new announcement for an upcoming SmackDown may have just revealed when Orton could make a comeback.
Randy Orton Advertised To Return On May 29th Episode Of SmackDown
WWE is now advertising Randy Orton for the May 29 episode of SmackDown in Barcelona, Spain, at the Olympic Arena.
WWE has not officially announced what role Orton will play upon his return; whether he’ll simply show up to cut a promo and continue his storyline, or wrestle in a match during this show in Barcelona, remains to be seen.
But for the first time after his absence from television following WrestleMania 42 in April, this advertisement is a clear sign that The Apex Predator will be back on May 29th to finish unfinished business.
Also read: Sami Zayn Reportedly Refused Major WWE Creative Plans