Randy Orton’s return to WWE fits in so many ways

Many reports are coming that Randy Orton is gearing up for a return and there are several places that he fits in today’s WWE weekly programming.

Fightful Select reported that initial plans are for a potential Randy Orton to return to WWE sometime around Survivor Series. With that even nearing next month, it would be interesting to see how the multiple-time champion is inserted back into the weekly television. The WWE Universe misses “The Viper” and there’s so much for him to do with some of the top players on either show.

Orton is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer that can be inserted into any area of the WWE roster. He’s not listed on an official roster, as his injury kept him from being drafted by either brand. But there are ways both shows could use him as a part of major stories.

Cody Rhodes is currently one-half of the WWE Undisputed Champions. He and Jey Uso are once again a thorn in Roman Reigns’s side, creating a potential path for Rhodes to “Finish the Story.” But what if the next chapter of that story goes through Orton?

At some point, Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes are going to face off in the WWE. Rhodes’s return was one of the biggest moments recently for the company and fans want to see what a storyline between these two men at this point in their careers looks like. Their time together in Legacy was a pivotal point in Rhodes’s development, and to bring that full circle would be a story worth watching.

Or what if WWE takes another direction? Orton versus Gunther anyone? Or what about Orton versus LA Knight? Hell, what if Orton shows up in WWE NXT as a threat to Ilja Dragunov? There are so many different spaces that Orton could fill with each of them being captivating options.

Randy Orton versus Roman Reigns is also another compelling story that has yet to be told. Reigns has gone through several of the top performers on the roster, but he and Orton have not battled in a one-on-one setting in quite some time. In fact, it’s been nearly a decade since the two men have faced off in a singles match, with the last ending in a no-contest back on May 4, 2015. Timing would be difficult with Reigns heading toward another showdown with Rhodes at WrestleMania, but if the space was available to tell this story, it would certainly fit.

Randy Orton is going to get a massive response when his theme music hits and he blasts someone with an RKO. There are so many spots where he can cause havoc, that it’s time WWE brings back the diabolical version of him for one more run. Is he the one to take the title from Seth Rollins? No telling, but the opportunities of where he fits in today’s programming are growing.