Two major returns set for 2013, possibly at the Royal Rumble

We should expect to see a lot of changes in WWE in 2013, considering that Paul “Triple H” Levesque continues to take on more responsibility behind the scenes, as well as the barrage of new and returning faces to WWE. Speaking of returns, two major ones are set for the beginning of the new year, possibly by the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

The first big return is that of the 2-time World Heavyweight Champion, Christian. Christian has been out of action since September 14th of this year, recovering from shoulder surgery. Christian has been in and out of WWE due to recovering from injuries, a result of a 17-year pro wrestling career. In November last year, Christian suffered an ankle injury while on a European tour. He returned just before Wrestlemania 28 this year, but was forced off the show when he suffered a shoulder injury in a match with WWE Champion CM Punk. He returned once more this year at the Over the Limit pay-per-view, winning a battle royal to open the show and winning the Intercontinental Championship from Cody Rhodes later in the night. He would eventually drop the title to The Miz on RAW 1000 on July 23rd. Shortly thereafter, he re-aggravated his shoulder injury, and his been out of action ever since. Although his return date is not confirmed, the possibility of him returning in time for the Royal Rumble is very high, so keep your eyes peeled.

The other big return is that of the former World Heavyweight Champion, “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry. In what was the midst of the biggest push of his career, shortly after losing the World title, Henry was “suspended indefinitely” by then-Smackdown! General Manager Theodore “Teddy” Long after Henry accosted Long, demanding one more match with then-World Champion Daniel Bryan. In reality, Henry had hyper-extended his knee, and needed time off for rehabilitation. He returned briefly during the first part of the year, but was once again put out of action in May with several injuries, including ones to his knee and groin. At the time, there was a very strong possibility Henry would be forced to retire due to his injuries. However, his rehabilitation has reportedly been going very well, and Henry has been said to have lost a significant amount of weight as part of the rehabilitation process, which played a part in his injuries in the first place. Much like Christian, his return date is not confirmed, but WWE officials have the hope that he will be able to return in time to compete in the Royal Rumble.