4. Randy Orton
The WrestleMania 32 injury plague started in October when Randy Orton dislocated his shoulder while taking out the garbage. Initial reports indicated his making it back in time for WrestleMania was a possibility, while later news suggested that he'd need shoulder and neck surgery, forcing him to miss more than a year of action. In the end, it turned out the neck surgery wasn't necessary, but Orton would still be missing WrestleMania. At last word, "The Viper" was supposed to be back in action by May, so maybe April's not so much of a stretch. Orton spent 2015 as a face, and after dominating the company in 2013 and 2014 as a heel, the result was a sharp fall. Orton has always been vocal about his preference for working as a bad guy, and it's a safe bet that all parties agree that's how he should be used upon his return. As for Orton's role, he'd make an even better foil for Roman Reigns than Samoa Joe. Just imagine Raw closing with "The Viper" sliding in the ring and hitting Reigns with an RKO out of nowhere. The crowd would go crazy, and even though the two have fought before, this feud would have high stakes with the WWE Title on the line.
Scott Fried
Contributor
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
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