It has now been over two months since we last saw Randy Orton appear on WWE programming, with “The Viper” notably also missing from John Cena’s final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Instead, Orton was in Saudi Arabia along with several other WWE stars over the weekend, and during his time there he confirmed that he would be back on television in time for the 2026 Royal Rumble in Riyadh on January 31.
But what plans could WWE have in store for the “Legend Killer” when he makes his much anticipated return?
Here are five potential WWE return plans for Randy Orton.
5. Special Guest Referee For Cody Rhodes Vs. Drew McIntyre
After Drew McIntyre’s interference in Cody Rhodes’ match with Oba Femi at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, it’s evident that their differences will not be resolved until Cody and Drew go one-on-one for the Undisputed WWE Championship one more time.
With some dubious officiating seeing McIntyre lose both previous attempts to dethrone “The American Nightmare”, it seems only right that a special guest referee is put in place to ensure the same doesn’t happen a third time.
While it’s questionable as to whether Orton would be considered an impartial official given his own history with Drew McIntyre, at the very least it should allow for a rivalry ending result.
If the match does end in questionable circumstances, McIntyre and Orton could then proceed into their own rivalry heading into the Royal Rumble.
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4. Revealed As Jacob Fatu’s Attacker
Jacob Fatu, like Randy Orton, has been off WWE TV since October, with “The Samoan Werewolf” taken out in dramatic fashion my a mystery attacker on SmackDown.
While it was implied that Drew McIntyre was the culprit, that feels a little too obvious.
With Orton also absent throughout Fatu’s time away, perhaps “The Viper” was remaining off TV to avoid drawing any suspicion or be the subject of questions from SmackDown GM Nick Aldis?
Making for a very interesting potential feud in 2026, Orton and Jacob Fatu could potentially be a marquee WrestleMania 42 match in waiting given the proper build.
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3. Seeks Revenge On GUNTHER For Retiring John Cena
As mentioned, Randy Orton was glaringly absent from John Cena’s final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, something that came as a surprise to many fans given the pair’s history together.
However, there is one way for Orton to make up for that: avenging the 17-time world champion upon his return.
GUNTHER’s arrogance over retiring Cena was on full display on Monday Night Raw, and instead of having that be a one and done, perhaps WWE should have “The Ring General” keep up that same routine week after week until somebody shuts him up.
While GUNTHER vs. AJ Styles has already seemingly been teased, seeing Orton emerge from nowhere to strike the Austrian with an RKO would make for an amazing surprise and provide a mega pop from any arena in the country.
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2. Answers Ilja Dragunov’s United States Championship Open Challenge
Continuing the tradition of Sami Zayn, and John Cena before him, Ilja Dragunov’s United States Championship open challenge has been a consistent highlight of Friday Night SmackDown that fans can look forward to on a weekly basis.
While Dragunov has managed to battle through every challenger thus far, he is beginning to show the wounds of his many matches and seems close to his breaking point.
WWE could have a returning Randy Orton take full advantage of Dragunov’s weakened state, allowing “The Viper” to capture his first WWE championship since 2022. Admittedly this would very much be a heel move, and getting fans to boo Orton is easy feat, but it’s certainly not impossible either.
Orton’s strongest work has been as a heel, and dethroning Dragunov could allow for more exciting possibilities heading into 2026.
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1. Targets Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship
Ever since Cody Rhodes returned to WWE in 2022, fans have been clamoring for a proper feud between he and Randy Orton.
Aside from a friendly affair between the two in the King of the Ring final at Night of Champions, Orton and Rhodes have remained on the same side. But it feels a matter of time before something changes.
With Orton only three world championship wins away from John Cena’s all-time record, perhaps seeing his former rival retire may motivate him to break that record and solidify himself as WWE’s “GOAT”, at least in his own mind.
While there have been reports suggesting Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns may be the direction WWE go in at WrestleMania 42, Orton vs. Rhodes is a much more appealing prospect from a storytelling perspective.
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