There's a big match for Judgment Day at Survivor Series, and the faction stacked the odds in their favor for the upcoming WWE event by adding Drew McIntyre to their ranks. While Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn were unsure who would join their team, fans were thrilled. It turned out the rumors of Randy Orton's return were legit, and the wrestling brand wasn't too subtle about it on Monday Night Raw. Unfortunately, the organization fumbled the ball when it came to announcing The Viper's return, and I'm a bit mad about it.
Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled I'll get to see Randy Orton back in action when I use my Peacock Premium subscription to watch Survivor Series this weekend. However, I can't help but feel miffed about Raw bungling his return. For those who missed it, here's the official video that the WWE used to announce the return of one of its most revered superstars:
I mean no disrespect to Cody Rhodes here, because he merely did what he does best. He hyped up the crowd and, in the moment, one could've gotten the impression that The Viper was going to pop up right behind the Judgment Day and deliver an RKO. The problem started when Rhodes confirmed who was coming, which sent the crowd into a fever pitch, before Monday Night Raw's broadcast cut to Blake Shelton singing on Barmaggedon. I mean, what was the point of confirming the wrestler's return without having him in the building to appear before the crowd?
When it comes to occasions like these, many of us are used to a certain trend that sees superstars appearing when their music hits following a tease. So because of that, I was stunned when it didn't happen with Randy Orton. That crowd was red hot and ready to blow the roof off the stadium for him, and with good reason. Orton's been sidelined indefinitely with a back injury since June 2022 and has slowly been working his way back after reportedly undergoing surgery. There's been significant doubt regarding whether the legend would even return, with his father, Cowboy Bob Orton, updating fans that doctors told him not to.
Considering the 43-year-old wrestler is a legend with over twenty championship title wins, I can respect the World Wrestling Entertainment wanting to hold off on actually having him appear in the flesh until he steps out on the ramp at Survivor Series in Chicago. If that was the case, however, then why not just continue to tease it as a mystery return during Monday Night Raw and the upcoming SmackDown until the big night?
One possible reason is that the company is trying its best to remove any notion that CM Punk has signed with the WWE and will make a grand entrance at Survivor Series Chicago. Explicitly revealing Randy Orton as the competitor would remove speculation that Punk is going to join that match, though it does nothing to address the teases connected to who Shinsuke Nakamura is challenging. At this point, it's hard to feel bad for the entertainment conglomerate, if it never actually signed the superstar, considering all the blatant references that hinted at his return.
The point I'm making here is that the WWE has been really good about giving fans a reason to turn up for Monday Night Raw and SmackDown as of late, thanks to title matches and quality appearances. The Legend Killer's confirmation on the show felt like a way to get a cheap pop without delivering the goods, which feels unfair for those who attended. With WrestleMania 40 and so many reveals on the way, I'd hate for this to become a trend that the company sticks with.
Tune in to Survivor Series to see Randy Orton and many others compete in WarGames and other matches on Saturday, November 25th at 8:00 p.m. ET. It should be a fun night with lots of action and hopefully, a few surprises as well.
