Randy Orton's Return Misses the Mark, Women's Division Shines, More WWE Raw Takes

Ahead of Survivor Series: WarGames, the November 20 episode of WWE Raw took place at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Everyone in attendance was committed to this go-home show, building two huge WarGames matches and featuring plenty of exciting bouts for Saturday's premium live event.

Randy Orton's return at Survivor Series was heavily teased by Cody Rhodes, but The Viper will not be seen until he lines up with his teammates at Allstate Arena in Chicago.

Gunther and The Miz traded blows on the microphone ahead of their Intercontinental Championship match. The Ring General impressed by truly digging at his rival's insecurities.

Becky Lynch vs. Xia Li, Nia Jax vs. Raquel Rodriguez, a women's Fatal 4-Way tag team match to crown the No. 1 contenders to the Women's Tag Team Championships and more highlighted a major night for the women's division.

Shinsuke Nakamura picked up another huge win, defeating Chad Gable. He seemed poised for a special moment at Survivor Series, but he has yet to be announced for the show.

It was an exciting show that promised even more to come at Survivor Series: WarGames.

WWE Botched Randy Orton Return Announcement

Over the past few weeks, WWE has teased the return of Randy Orton after a lengthy injury absence. And it was finally confirmed at the end of Monday's Raw, but not in the way many expected.

Fans were tuning into the red brand to see The Viper and hear his familiar theme song. Instead, Cody Rhodes could not even say his name.

It was only after Raw finished that WWE officially confirmed Orton would be the fifth member of the babyface men's WarGames team against The Judgment Day.

Likely because of the speculation around a potential return for Chicago native CM Punk, WWE did not feel comfortable waiting until Survivor Series for Orton's comeback in case fans were expecting the former All Elite Wrestling star.

However, the best option would have been to make the moment happen on Monday's Raw in front of a hot Grand Rapids crowd that had elevated this show consistently.

By delaying, the Survivor Series pop is unlikely to hit as hard, and WWE will need to make something bigger happen at Saturday's event to deliver for a packed Allstate Arena.

Women's Division Steals the Show

It was a very good night for the WWE women's division that highlighted a varied roster including some SmackDown stars.

Becky Lynch and Xia Li delivered in a long-awaited battle that is, by far, the best work of The Protector's career.

Nia Jax showed her value in a hard-hitting battle with Raquel Rodriguez. The Irresistible Force continues to pick up steam as a future challenger for Rhea Ripley.

Even the women's tag team division delivered more than expected in a fun Fatal 4-Way in which Maxxine Dupri continued to show her growing value and Tegan Nox and Natalya set the course for a title match.

Combined with more WarGames build that included the appearance of Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi, as well as final build for Ripley vs. Zoey Stark, it was a night to remember for the women.

Gunther So Much More Than Just a Good In-Ring Wrestler

Gunther has taken the wrestling world by storm. While he proved his worth in NXT UK, it was unclear how far The Ring General could go.

Throughout 2023, though, he has shown he can be a main event heel.

His work in the ring has carried to him great heights, but the final step required him to prove himself on the microphone. And he verbally tore into The Miz ahead of their Survivor Series match for the Intercontinental Championship.

While The A-Lister has always been impressive on the mic, it is a rare Superstar who can match him when he is working a serious angle. The Ring General stood out even above Miz in this verbal clash.

It was a special performance from a man who looks poised to be world champion sooner than later. No one has earned a main event run in WWE more clearly than The Ring General in 2023.

Big Missed Opportunity Leaving Shinsuke Nakamura Off Survivor Series Card

Shinsuke Nakamura has built up an impressive winning streak as of late. His latest win was the biggest yet as he defeated Chad Gable, who is still a star on the rise in WWE.

More interestingly, The Artist has continued to tease wanting to challenge someone in particular. Fans might have hoped it could be CM Punk with Survivor Series in Chicago.

It was already a long shot that The Best in the World would appear, but that should not stop WWE from paying off the Nakamura teases at the last pay-per-view of 2023.

This could be a chance for a big return, debut or NXT call-up. Especially with Randy Orton's return intentionally spoiled, WWE could make something big happen.

It would be a waste to keep Nakamura off the card. Even if the worry is about the Chicago crowd's reaction, WWE would just need to deliver something special for Survivor Series that gets the fans invested again.