When WWE legend Randy Orton teased signing with AEW

Randy Orton has accomplished almost everything during his over two-decade-long stint in the Stamford-based promotion and is seen as a WWE lifer. However, in 2019, The Viper surprisingly teased joining the global sports entertainment juggernaut's biggest rival, All Elite Wrestling.

Orton has been absent from WWE programming for over a year due to a severe back injury. His last match was on the May 20, 2022, edition of SmackDown, where he and Matt Riddle faced The Usos in a tag team title unification match. Unfortunately, RK-Bro suffered a loss on that occasion.

Amid Orton's current absence, it is a good time to look back at his antics that shocked the wrestling world almost four years ago. The 10-time WWE Champion uploaded a picture from Jacksonville, Florida, looking at a sign with "Elite Level" written on it.

He further captioned the post with a simple "tick tock tick tock" and tagged multiple AEW and WWE stars, including FTR, Cody Rhodes, and Chris Jericho.

It was later reported that it was a ploy from Orton to leverage a more favorable WWE deal.

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Hall of Famer wants Randy Orton to face former partner upon potential WWE return

While speaking on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine, Bill Apter wanted a "more mature" Matt Riddle to face The Viper if he returns to in-ring action in the sports entertainment juggernaut.

"Maybe that'll wind up the two of them opposing each other," Apter suggested. "Riddle is a more mature Riddle than he was with Randy. He's not playing around. He doesn't have the scooter. It's a different Riddle, and maybe that wouldn't settle well with the current character, that [Riddle] character, and Randy Orton." [6:31 – 6:54]

WWE veteran Teddy Long agreed with Apter and added that Riddle would give Orton "one hell of a match."

"I'd like to see Riddle as an opponent," Long said. "I think that Riddle would give Randy Orton one hell of a match, I'm telling you. That's it right there. That's the match right there." [7:20 – 7:33]

It remains to be seen when Randy Orton makes his WWE return and what the future holds for him in the promotion.

Should The Viper go for one final world title if he returns to in-ring action? Let us know in the comments section below.