When Cody Rhodes broke the news that Randy Orton was returning to WWE for the first time in 18 months for his WarGames debut at Survivor Series, it felt like a phenomenal way to add some excitement and surprise to WWE's final major Premium Live Event of the year.

… but then CM Punk returned to The Fed for the first time in almost a decade, and suddenly, Orton's return became a Page 2 story behind the “Best in the World.”

For the fans in Chicago, the moment was unforgettable, but how did it feel for Orton, who was thoroughly overshadowed by the returning “Second City Saint?” Well, the “Viper” was asked that very question in a special appearance on The Bump and was surprisingly candid about the double-duty return.

“Dude, it was so cool. I was so nervous, and funny little side story to that day. So for a month prior, there was all these rumors online that I was coming back, but there was also rumors like that CM Punk was coming back. Instead of it being a surprise that it was me, instead of Punk, they let everyone know the week prior [that] Randy Orton’s gonna be the one joining Cody’s team in WarGames. Kind of let the wind out of my sails a little bit because I’d been gone for a year and a half, there’s all this anticipation, people have been expecting me to return for the past six months because I’d been out so long. I can tell that I’ve matured a lot because a part of me wanted to be irate, right, like this was taken from me, this reaction from the crowd that I’d been looking forward to for 18 months,” Randy Orton said on The Bump via Fightful.

“But after all was said and done, I came out, got a great reaction. Punk came out, got a great reaction, and I realized after the fact that nobody stepped on anyone’s toes. It was really just a really fun night for the fans. They got Randy Orton back, and they were very happy about that. They weren’t even thinking about Punk. Then here comes Punk. So that reaction was just, they were two different reactions, two different people. Everybody was excited to see us both. Personally, on a personal level, I was happy to have him back. He’s a h*ll of a worker, h*ll of a guy. But it was funny because here I am after 18 months, ready to go, and then, ‘Oh, no, we’re gonna announce your return.’ Then he comes back anyway. Like, ‘Ah.’ But that’s kind of how it goes here, you never know.”

Would it have been cool to see Orton get his moment at Survivor Series and Punk return at some point in the future, maybe at the Royal Rumble, where he'll be making his televised wrestling return anyway? Sure, but when you consider just how quickly his return came together, it's pretty safe to say Punk wasn't in the cards – or on the card – when Orton's return was made official.

Randy Orton is excited to work with CM Punk moving forward.

Continuing his conversation with Kayla Braxton on The Bump, Randy Orton noted that while he doesn't have too much experience with CM Punk inside the ring or out, he's excited to work with the “Best in the World” once more, as he feels as though they've both matured over the years.

“I haven’t been around him for a decade. I remember back in the day, of course, before he left. He had a little bit of a, I guess a dark cloud over him in the locker room, but so did I. So did I. So I can’t really judge, can I?” Randy Orton asked. “We both had our s**t that we were going through, and for whatever reason, and I think now, he’s changed. He’s matured. He’s more mature. I think us pro wrestlers are never really mature, but he’s more mature than he was, as am I. I think that when I saw him in Chicago, shook his hand, gave him a little hug, and it was nothing but sincere. We were both happy to see each other, and I want him to do great here. I think the feeling is mutual.”

Has Punk really matured, considering he was fired from his last wrestling promotion less than six months ago for multiple backstage brawls that left the promoter “fearing for his life?” I mean, probably not, but then again, considering Punk is basically out of chances if this run doesn't work out, it would make sense that he would try to be extra professional this time around on RAW.