43-year-old WWE star should replicate Hall of Famer’s obsession if he must beat Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2023

Roman Reigns is closing in on 1000 days as the Universal WWE Champion. He has held the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship since WrestleMania 38, and it looks like he will be holding the title for much longer.

Fans have seen top stars like Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, and Kevin Owens fail to defeat The Tribal Chief multiple times during his reign. Former AEW star Cody Rhodes failed to finish 'The Story' at WrestleMania 39, even though he came across as the perfect babyface to dethrone Roman Reigns.

WWE is quickly running out of options when it comes to formidable superstars who can win the Undisputed WWE Championship. Bobby Lashley is one of the few remaining stars who could give Roman Reigns a tough fight for the title in the coming months.

However, not all hope is lost just yet! A certain 14-time world champion could soon return to face The Tribal Chief.

Randy Orton has been out with an injury for nearly a year, and that has prevented a rivalry against The Tribal Chief.

Orton is one of the most established and decorated stars in the company today, and WWE doesn’t need to search for credible reasons to justify his ability to overthrow a star who hasn’t been defeated for more than 1000 days.

To make things more interesting, the creative team must give Randy Orton a comeback story similar to that of a Hall of Famer who is currently active on the roster.

Edge returned from injury at the 2021 Royal Rumble and surprised everyone by winning the 30-man elimination match. He went on to face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship in a Triple Threat Match with Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 37.

While Edge failed to win the title, it was the story that he told that made things very interesting. The Rated-R Superstar repeatedly spoke about his injuries and comebacks, and the reasons he needed to win the title. His obsession with becoming a world champion again is what made his story for WrestleMania 37 enjoyable.

Randy Orton must return with a similar storyline. He comes across as a natural heel but needs to be a top babyface if he gets into a rivalry with Roman Reigns. Even that might not cut it, as he needs to be obsessed with winning again to prove to himself, his family, and his fans that he still has it.

With 14 world championships under his belt, The Apex Predator must come out looking for his 15th big win and get closer to breaking the record held by Ric Flair and John Cena.

It won't be a difficult task getting a legend like Randy Orton to the top championship scene if he returns in time for SummerSlam 2023. It would be even easier to build a storyline in which The Viper looks like the favorite to win and Roman Reigns feels threatened for once.

However, it would take a storyline similar to Edge’s to make the entire deal more enjoyable. The Head of the Table is currently without a clear challenger for SummerSlam 2023, and a returning Orton could finally take down the top guy in WWE.

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A WWE legend thinks Randy Orton should move to the same brand as Roman Reigns

The WWE Draft is just around the corner, and fans are waiting to see which brand their favorite superstars will end up in. Triple H has already promised fans that this year’s draft will be bigger and better than ever before.

WWE legend Dutch Mantell recently spoke about which brand Randy Orton should feature in, following the draft. He said that The Viper must shift from RAW to SmackDown.

"Well, I may have told you this before we went on the air today, but one guy that I think the fans are dying to see and he's hurt is, Randy Orton. Now remember we talked about time and time and time again how weak the WWE SmackDown bench was... But now, they got a lot of strength. You put Orton on there, they are going to be packed," the veteran said.

If the two megastars end up on the same brand, WWE can tell a great story to build a memorable rivalry between them. Randy Orton hasn’t won the Universal Championship, and it could be time for The Apex Predator to add another jewel to his crown.

Do you want to see Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2023? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.