Randy Orton’s return suddenly feels a lot closer. More importantly, it turns out WWE never wanted him to lose to Cody Rhodes in the first place.
That’s the biggest takeaway from a new backstage report, which claims “The Viper” was originally penciled in to beat Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 before his back became too much of a concern. Instead, WWE changed course, Orton disappeared for months, and now he’s getting ready to come back at the exact moment Cody Rhodes and CM Punk are fighting over the Undisputed WWE Championship.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Orton isn’t far away from returning. In fact, it could happen sooner than most fans expected.
“Orton and Owens are both expected to be returning very soon, Orton perhaps in the next week.”
That’s where things get interesting. For months, Orton insisted he wasn’t actually hurt. He joked that he was simply enjoying the summer before coming back to chase his 15th world championship. Meltzer says that wasn’t the real story. Behind the scenes, Orton’s back injury was serious enough that WWE had to abandon one of its biggest WrestleMania plans after realizing he couldn’t physically get through it.
“Orton was one of those guys who claimed he wasn’t injured and just taking the summer off, but in fact he was injured. He was actually scheduled to beat Rhodes at Mania unless they felt his back was going to not allow it. When they realized that was the case, all kinds of plans were changed.”
Suddenly, Orton’s absence makes a lot more sense. It also explains why the story with Cody Rhodes never really felt finished. WWE didn’t get the ending it originally wanted, and now Rhodes finds himself back in the middle of the title picture with SummerSlam only days away. That’s why Meltzer thinks Orton isn’t returning for a random feud. If his music hits, expect him to go straight after one of the two biggest names in the company.
“The door was clearly left open to Rhodes vs. Orton at Mania, so I could see Orton screwing Rhodes or Punk to keep the other out of the WWE title picture because there is no reason for him to return now unless it’s to work with one of those two, and Rhodes being the more likely one would think.”
Orton isn’t the only comeback WWE is quietly waiting on either. Kevin Owens is getting close as well after spending more than a year recovering from neck surgery. The former Universal Champion has missed two straight WrestleManias, made a handful of appearances on WWE LFG and WWE digital content, and watched the rest of the roster pass him by while working his way back. Now it sounds like the finish line is finally in sight.
“Owens has dropped weight after a lengthy and frustratingly long recovery from neck surgery.”
Owens hasn’t wrestled since March 2025. Orton hasn’t been seen since WrestleMania 42. If Meltzer’s report is accurate, though, both absences are about to end—and WWE could suddenly have two former world champions walking back into the company at almost the exact same time.
One has unfinished business with Cody Rhodes. The other has spent sixteen months waiting to wrestle again. Either way, WWE’s main event scene may not look the same for much longer.
Who should Randy Orton go after first when he returns? And who do you want to see Kevin Owens face in his first match back? Let us know in the comments below.
