Backstage update on when Randy Orton could make WWE return (Exclusive)

Modified Jan 22, 2025 07:52 GMT

Randy Orton at a WWE event (Image via WWE.com)

The WWE Universe is days away from witnessing the 2025 Royal Rumble go down, but there's still no word on Randy Orton. The Viper hasn't been seen since Kevin Owens put him out with a Package Piledriver on SmackDown in November 2024.

On a recent episode of Live Q&A on Backstage Pass, WrestleVotes was asked if Randy Orton could interfere during the Cody Rhodes versus Kevin Owens match before appearing at the Royal Rumble.

"I don't know if both, but I would certainly say with the way the injury angle went down, he [Orton] has to come back for Kevin Owens. He can't just enter the Rumble as a surprise and forget about everything. So I'd say if he's in Indianapolis for the pay-per-view, likely look for him during that ladder match." [From 09:11 onwards]

Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens will make their ladder match official at Saturday Night's Main Event 2025. WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will mediate the contract signing this Saturday.

Fans can expect some physicality angle to go down as Rhodes and Owens put pen to paper. As for Randy Orton, it remains to be seen if the Viper pops up this Saturday or the next.

Get the full episode of Live Q&A with Bill Apter and WrestleVotes on Backstage Pass. You can also unlock our exclusive content via YouTube membership.

About the author

Manik Aftab writes Exclusive articles for Sportskeeda Wrestling’s WWE division. A BA (Hons) in English Literature helped him improve his writing skills before starting his career as a pro wrestling writer.

Before joining Sportskeeda, Aftab worked for Ringside News and The Sportster, where his wrestling articles and feature pieces consistently ranked on the first page of Google SERPs.

He prioritizes accuracy, relevance, and ethics in his reporting by conducting thorough research, verifying sources, and adhering to professional journalistic standards.

While Aftab’s favorite wrestler in AEW is Hangman Adam Page, he doesn’t have a favorite in WWE yet. However, he considers Stone Cold Steve Austin to be the greatest professional wrestler of all time. His earliest memory of watching pro wrestling was when The Rock faced The New Age Outlaws in a handicap match, but it was the John Cena vs. Edge match from Unforgiven 2006 that got him hooked. If given the chance to manage a star from the Attitude Era, he would choose The British Bulldog, as he believes Davey Boy Smith was a terrific worker and could've benefitted from having a mouthpiece for his lack of mic skills.

When not watching pro wrestling, Aftab enjoys reading science fiction and watching anime.

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Edited by Angana Roy