Randy Orton to return and play a major role at Royal Rumble 2025? Exploring the possibility

Randy Orton hasn’t been seen on WWE television since Kevin Owens took him out with the banned package piledriver. The Stamford-based promotion confirmed that The Viper sustained some serious injuries following the vicious attack by KO. The injury has kept him out of action since November 2024. However, recent updates have been pointing at his potential return.

On the other hand, Cody Rhodes has been embroiled in a heated rivalry with Kevin Owens for months. The archrivals are locked to clash in a high-stakes Ladder Match at the 2025 Royal Rumble. The American Nightmare is the favorite to win the match against KO.

There’s a possibility that Randy Orton could make his shocking return at the Royal Rumble PLE and could turn heel, launching an attack on Cody Rhodes instead of punishing Kevin Owens for injuring him with the banned move. With that, The Viper could potentially resurrect his old 2009 menace gimmick.

Recently, Kim Orton shared pictures with her husband from an elevator. Orton looked jacked and fit. He also looked clean-shaven and fully bald, resembling his heel persona from 2009. This shocking turn would plant seeds for an epic showdown between Randy and Cody, which could take place at WrestleMania 41.

Randy Orton could be the perfect opponent for Cody Rhodes, especially with The Rock likely out of the equation for this year’s Mania. Fans have anticipated this bout since The American Nightmare returned to the Stamford-based promotion, as both stars share significant history, and the master vs. prodigy storyline could be a major program.

Additionally, Cody Rhodes has been name-dropping Randy Orton since he was sidelined. This week was no different, as The American Nightmare mentioned Orton and expressed how he has learned a lot from him and remembered their time as faction mates during his promo on SmackDown.

That said, the proposed angle above is speculative, and fans must stay tuned to find out.

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Randy Orton to play a major role at Royal Rumble 2025?

Following Randy Orton’s return speculation, a recent report from SportsKeeda Wrestling’s Backstage Pass stated that The Viper could potentially return at the 2025 Royal Rumble, but he would not enter the traditional Men’s Rumble match. Instead, he could play a vital role during the Ladder Match.

"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."

Amid the buzz around his comeback, it remains to be seen how Randy will return.