Randy Orton Expected BACK In WWE Soon, WrestleMania 41 Opponent Potentially Revealed (WWE News)
Randy Orton's WWE return is imminent, as is his WrestleMania 41 direction...
Randy Orton is on his way back to WWE, and will do so just in time for a major WrestleMania 41 push.
According to PWInsider Elite, Orton is expected back in the company by March, and in time for WWE’s Road to WrestleMania tour in Europe. While nothing is confirmed, a potential bout with Kevin Owens seems to be the logical direction for 'The Viper' at the biggest show of the year.
Orton has been absent from in-ring action since November after suffering what WWE reported as a "cervical cord neurapraxia" due to a package piledriver from Owens. Owens is set to take on lifetime friend/enemy Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber, with many initially assuming that the match would be saved for the 'Show Of Shows'. Per this speculation, it appears as though 'KO' will meet 'RKO' instead.
If Orton does make it to WrestleMania 41, it will mark his 19th appearance at WWE’s marquee event. This further solidifies his place behind Triple H (23 appearances) and The Undertaker (27) in terms of all-time WrestleMania appearances. Orton has only missed WrestleMania 32 and WrestleMania 39 since his debut at the event in 2004.
The storyline between Orton and Owens has been brewing for months. The two briefly teamed up heading into WrestleMania 40 alongside Cody Rhodes to take on The Bloodline, despite being opponents in a triple threat match that also featured Logan Paul. However, tensions flared after Owens turned on Rhodes at Bash in Berlin, which eventually folded Orton in too.