Randy Orton may finally be getting ready to return to WWE television after disappearing following WrestleMania 42 — and a new update suggests fans won’t have to wait much longer to see The Viper back in action.
After weeks away from WWE programming following his brutal loss to Cody Rhodes, WWE is now officially advertising Orton for the May 29 episode of SmackDown in Barcelona, Spain at Olympic Arena.
The timing is important because the show serves as the final SmackDown before Clash in Italy, immediately fueling speculation that WWE could be preparing “The Viper” for a major return heading into the premium live event.
Orton has been absent since WrestleMania 42, where he failed to defeat Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event. According to multiple reports afterwards, WWE originally planned for Orton to actually leave WrestleMania as champion before changing direction late in the creative process.
Fightful Select later reported there was serious internal discussion surrounding Orton winning his 15th world championship before WWE ultimately decided to keep the title on Rhodes instead. That late decision played into WWE’s longer-term plans for the feud continuing beyond WrestleMania rather than ending there.
The storyline itself closed with Orton snapping after the loss and viciously attacking Rhodes following the match, including blasting him with the championship and delivering a punt kick to end the show.
Now, weeks later, Orton’s name suddenly appearing back on WWE’s advertised schedule has fans immediately wondering whether WWE is preparing to restart the feud heading into the summer.
At this point, WWE has not officially announced whether Orton will wrestle, appear live, or begin a new storyline during the Barcelona SmackDown. But after being completely absent since April, this is the clearest sign yet that “The Apex Predator” may finally be getting ready to strike again.
Do you think Randy Orton should jump right back into the WWE Championship picture when he returns, or should WWE move him into a completely different storyline after WrestleMania 42? Leave your thoughts and feedback below.
