4 WWE Superstars Randy Orton must face before 2023 ends

This week on Monday Night RAW Cody Rhodes announced that Randy Orton will be returning to WWE this Saturday at Survivor Series: WarGames as the Viper will team with The American Nightmare, Seth Rollins, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn.

Orton has been out of action since May 2022, and in his absence, the landscape of World Wrestling Entertainment has changed greatly.

Therefore we are going to take a look at 4 top WWE Superstars that The Apex Predator has to face before 2023 comes to an end.

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#4 - Randy Orton faces an old foe

Orton's most recent match took place on SmackDown in May 2022 where he and Matt Riddle lost to the Usos in a match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles. Following the contest the Usos and Roman Reigns assaulted Randy Orton which became a major factor in him being absent from the company.

Fast forward to today and The Usos as a team are over and Jey Uso is a fan favorite as well as a teammate of Orton's this weekend.

Randy like many still has his issues with Jey, stemming from the various cruel actions he partook in as part of The Bloodline.

Therefore no matter the result this weekend, do not be surprised if Randy wants to get some measure of revenge against Jey Uso.

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#3 - The Viper goes after WWE's most hated performer

One performer who has risen to the top of the card as well after a major character shift during Randy Orton's time away is Dominik Mysterio.

The son of Rey Mysterio has become arguably the most hated performer on the roster, with him using his faction The Judgment Day to help him achieve his various evil desires. Dom has also achieved great success in the ring as he became a two-time NXT North American Champion.

Despite the fact that Dominik and Orton will do battle inside WarGames on Saturday, many fans will feel that their desire to see Randy take out Mysterio is not yet satisfied.

Therefore a one-on-one match with Dom's North American title potentially on the line as well would be a great spectacle for both superstars before the year comes to an end.

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#2 - Two former WWE Champions collide

One of the biggest names in WWE to turn heel in recent times is Drew McIntyre. The Scotsman is looking to take control of his career and make sure no outside interference impacts any of his matches.

Like Dominik Mysterio, Randy Orton will meet Drew McIntyre inside WarGames this weekend. However, with Drew looking to establish himself as the top dog on Monday Night RAW, the Viper is arguably the biggest star to go after on the red brand.

In 2020, Drew and Randy were part of a highly intense feud with the pair of them battling over the WWE Championship. Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling in 2021, Drew McIntyre was asked how it felt to work with Randy Orton as well as how their matches improved him as a performer.

"Working with Randy is what showed the world that I could not just get to the top, but stay on top. He is absolutely unbelievable in every area of this industry. During that period working with Edge, somehow even as good as he was, he got better in the ring. His character was elevated to the next level. I knew when I became champion that when I would step into the ring with Randy, that would be my chance to show that I could step up with not just the best, but one of the best of all time, like one of the top five, in my opinion, of all time." (H/T Wrestling News)

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#1 - Randy Orton looks to make history

Another performer whose stock has risen greatly since Randy Orton has been out of the action is the hard-hitting Austrian star, Gunther.

For 530 days and counting the leader of Imperium has made history as he has established himself as the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time.

Earlier this year whilst speaking on Busted Open Radio Gunther commented on the comparisons between him and The Apex Predator.

"Thank you for that comparison. I think Randy’s one of the best ever, so it’s very charming." (H/T EWrestling News)

A matchup between Orton and Gunther would be very poetic for The Viper as well as we are approaching the 20th anniversary of Randy winning the Intercontinental title at Armageddon on December 14th, 2003.

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Who would you like to see Orton face in 2023? Sound off in the comments section below.