Randy Orton Returns to WWE Programming at Battleground, RKOs Chris Jericho

After nine months on the shelf because of a shoulder injury, Randy Orton returned to WWE programming Sunday as the special guest for Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel at Battleground 2016.

Orton appeared on the show to hype his upcoming match at SummerSlam on Aug. 21 against Brock Lesnar, which WWE announced during a recent episode of SmackDown. WWE Universe shared some of his comments from the interview:

After a lengthy segment that featured Orton taking a jab at Lesnar's recent failed drug tests with the UFC, The Viper delivered his signature move to Jericho, an RKO. 

Bleacher Report imagined what Lesnar's response might have been upon hearing Orton's jab:   

The Viper was last seen in a WWE ring in October while feuding with The Wyatt Family, but a dislocated shoulder, stretched ligaments and a partially torn rotator cuff have kept him out of action since, according to WWE.com.

When asked about his condition on AfterBuzzTV (h/t Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone) in April, the 36-year-old veteran was optimistic about a return in the near future:

"

I had a match, Oct. 15 in Chicago. And, I was in the ring with a couple of different guys, and it's unclear to me what happened, but my shoulder got stretched back, and the capsule was stretched and I had a repair 12 years ago that was destroyed. So, I had a little pain, got an MRI and basically I was told that they had to fix my shoulder up again. I had a different guy do it and had a stabilization surgery done that they do on rugby players who go back to 100 percent full-time playing rugby, and those guys, they're some tough customers. So, I got really fortunate with the doctor and I think everything's going to be just fine, a couple more months.

"

Then, as part of a first-quarter earnings call on May 10, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon said he expected Orton and the company's other top injured stars to be back within a month, per Marc Middleton of PWMania.com.

Now that WWE's Apex Predator is back in the fold, the creative team has no shortage of options regarding how to use him.

His first order of business will be facing and likely losing to Lesnar at SummerSlam, but The Viper is essentially a blank canvas after that because of how long he has been away.

Orton was a face prior to his injury, but he has served in both face and heel roles effectively over the course of his career and could fill in wherever the company needs him.

WWE has a lack of top-flight villains, which means Orton could have greater value on that side of the coin.

Regardless of Orton's persona, SiriusXM Busted Open suggested WWE should use him primarily to help elevate other Superstars:

As a 12-time world champion and multiple-time WrestleMania main eventer, Orton has done it all in WWE.

He has nothing left to prove, so using him to build the future of the company makes sense at this juncture of his career.

While Orton hasn't been particularly compelling as a character in recent years, he has credibility in spades because of his impressive resume.

Making Orton world champion or even placing him in the main event scene wouldn't be ideal, but his return could provide WWE with a significant boost in terms of roster depth and fresh feuds for other Superstars to engage in.

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