Randy Orton To Return At WWE Battleground 2016
Former WWE Champion will appear on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel.
WWE announced on Raw Monday that Randy Orton, who has been off WWE television since suffering a shoulder injury last October, will make his return on July 24 at the Battleground Pay-Per-View.
At the event, Orton will be the guest star on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel talk show.
Orton's return follows last week's news that "The Viper" will be Brock Lesnar's opponent at SummerSlam. That match, which will take place on August 21 in Brooklyn, New York, will mark the first time the two longtime superstars have clashed since 2002, when both were rookies. Though there was no organic storyline buildup for the contest, many fans are excited by the prospect of the fresh match.
Orton was first announced as injured on the kickoff show for the Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View last October. At that event, Orton and Dean Ambrose were scheduled to take on Luke Harper and Braun Strowman, but the injury - which Orton suffered while taking out the trash at home - forced the cancellation of the bout. A few months into his convalescence, news broke that Orton would also need neck surgery, but those issues turned out to be less severe than initially feared, and surgery wasn't necessary.
It is clear that Orton will address the Lesnar match at Battleground, as well as establish whether he's returning as a face or a heel.