Randy Orton's return to WWE is right around the corner, with some reports saying he'll be back for Survivor Series next month. It's been well over a year since we've last seen Orton in a WWE ring after dealing with a serious back injury, a health issue so bad fans thought maybe he'd have to retire.
Luckily, that isn't the case, and it's only a matter of time before he's back on weekly WWE television.
The last time we saw Orton was when he and his RK-Bro partner, Matt Riddle, lost the Raw Tag Team Championships to the Usos. A lot has changed since that match, including Riddle being released from WWE. Many fans speculated that those two would enter a feud when Orton returned, but now that idea is thrown out the window.
Orton is one of the greatest superstars of this generation, so it won't be hard to find a program for him when he returns. WWE can throw Orton back into the world championship picture, the tag team division, or have him work with up-and-coming talent. There's really no limit to what The Viper can do when he's back.
Here are three superstars who Orton can feud with when he returns to WWE.
Roman Reigns
I'm just going to get the easy answer out of the way.
It was rumored that Randy Orton was supposed to be one of Roman Reigns' next opponents after losing the tag team titles. Obviously, that didn't happen, but the opportunity is still there.
It's been a while since we've seen Orton and Reigns go one-on-one, and we've never seen Orton face off against the Tribal Chief. This match would be incredible and give Reigns a formidable opponent. Although Reigns would probably get the upper hand in this match, it gives him a fresh feud and an opponent who fans believe can actually dethrone him.
Austin Theory
Austin Theory is not a fan favorite. He does a fantastic job as a heel and gets under people's skin very easily, though.
Theory has had matches with legends in the past, including John Cena and Edge, and defeated them both. Due to his unpopularity, this would be a great first feud and match back for Randy Orton. Imagine Theory is on the mic and the entire crowd is booing him, and then all of a sudden Orton's theme music plays. The crowd would erupt, and they'd be begging Orton to hit Theory with an RKO.
Theory would get a big match against the returning Orton, and Orton would face off against a future star in the business. It's a win-win for both sides and I think WWE can easily make this happen.
John Cena
This is more of a long shot, but hear me out. Randy Orton and John Cena are arguably each other's greatest rivals. They've had countless matches against each other — maybe a few too many — but they have a lot of history together regardless.
Although fans have complained about them facing off one too many times, one more match between the two wouldn't kill anybody. In fact, I think fans would love to see an older Cena take on an older Orton. It's been years since they've last stepped in a ring together, and one last match would be special.
This can be career vs. career or a simple one-on-one match, but if it were to happen, it needs to happen at WrestleMania. John Cena is back for the time being, and WWE can plant the seeds now for a future match before he leaves for Hollywood again. Like I said, it's a long shot, but never say never in WWE.
Those are three superstars who Randy Orton can feud with when he returns to WWE. No matter who he goes up against, fans will be ecstatic to see him back. All we can ask for is a clean bill of health for Orton, so he can continue to entertain the fans for many years to come.
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