"He needs to come back and dethrone Roman Reigns" - Fans react to former WWE Champion's absence

 It's been nearly a year since fans last saw Randy Orton in WWE. Since then, there has been constant chatter about when he could return to action. A recent Twitter post about The Viper elicited interesting reactions from fans about what they would like Orton to do upon his eventual return to the sports entertainment juggernaut.

The 14-time WWE world champion last performed on the May 20, 2022, edition of SmackDown. He and Matt Riddle lost their RAW Tag Team Championship to The Usos at the show, after which The Viper took time off to heal from his back injuries.

Even recent updates about Randy Orton haven't been positive, as it has been noted that he was "nowhere close" to returning. However, this hasn't stopped fans from fantasy-booking his comeback. Fans thronged to the comments section of a recent Twitter post about Orton, sharing their ideas for his return.

Many users mentioned their desire to see The Legend Killer challenge Roman Reigns and possibly even dethrone him. On the other hand, a few stated that WWE shouldn't rush his return as it could aggravate his health struggles.

Check out the reactions below:

Adam Knoll

@AdamKnoll8

@WrestlingWCC He needs to come back and dethrone Roman reigns

Larry McGinty

@LarryMcGinty5

@WrestlingWCC Hell Yeah I do miss my Randy Orton my guy I think 🤔 he will get some retribution with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn and his RK-Bro partner Matt Riddle/On The Bloodlines I am talking about Jey USO and Jimmy USO and Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns / so Randy Orton’s target The Bloodlines

TWINdaMOGUL™

@TWINdaMOGUL

@WrestlingWCC I thought he was showing up at Mania. Especially due to Roman winning, Randy music would’ve had a MAJOR POP! Randy solidifies champions. I for sure know Randy isn’t going to put Roman over. Legend vs Superstar. It makes sense for the dethroning!!!

2

Atul Dhiman

@AtulDhiman03

@WrestlingWCC Yes!!! Rko bro. Maybe he joins Kevin Owen, Semi Zyan and matt riddle group.

Dutch Mantell wants Randy Orton to become a part of WWE SmackDown

The upcoming WWE Draft announcement by Triple H has led to fans hotly debating which performers should switch brands to freshen things up.

On a recent edition of Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell shared his desire to see Randy Orton return and become a part of the SmackDown brand. Mantell thinks the blue brand would be further strengthened by the presence of a legend like Orton.

"Well, I may have told you this before we went on the air today, but one guy that I think the fans are dying to see and he's hurt is Randy Orton. Now remember, we talked about [it] time and time and time again [that] how weak the WWE SmackDown bench was (...) But now, they've got a lot of strength. You put Orton on there, they are going to be packed," the veteran said.

pau

@316REIGNS

a year ago today 

17

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Considering Roman Reigns also performs on the SmackDown brand, if Orton shows up on Friday nights, it could open the doors to a blockbuster clash between the two.

Are you excited to see The Viper return? Do you think he would be the ideal candidate to end Roman Reigns' title reign? Sound off in the comments section below.