Randy Orton Should Return to WWE at Survivor Series

If WWE writers are smart, they will know that a vengeful Randy Orton should return to programming at the Survivor Series event on November 23 to wreak havoc on those who have wronged him.

Thankfully, it shouldn’t be too hard to bring him back for the show. He’s currently filming WWE Studios’ flick The Condemned 2: Desert Pray—Variety has the details here—meaning the bookers can arrange for him to have the time off from filming with little or no fuss from the filmmakers. The company is funding the movie after all.

From a booking perspective, an early Orton return makes perfect sense. There are several ways to book his surprise re-emergence at the show.

He could be the mysterious fifth member of John Cena’s team. Cena could refuse to reveal the last member of his crew until right before the match itself—at which point Orton’s music would hit and the place would go crazy.

Or perhaps Cena could manage to put together his full team, only for one of his members to be taken out by a backstage assault on the night itself right before the bout is due to take place. Members of Team Authority could be in the ring evilly gloating about their numbers advantage…and then Orton comes out to save the day.

Bringing back The Viper at Survivor Series makes perfect sense. The show is emanating from St. Louis—Orton’s hometown—guaranteeing the star a rousing ovation and ensuring his official babyface turn gets off to a tremendous start.

Ideally, The Viper would win the match for his team too, thus allowing him to gain his revenge and the prestige of getting rid of The Authority once and for all.

Another argument for bringing the star back at the pay-per-view is that he would he add some much-needed excitement and intrigue to an otherwise average Survivor Series main event.

Granted WWE has tried with the 10-man elimination bout—and Stephanie McMahon and Triple H spitefully trying to take out the members of Team Cena so they can’t even make it to the event is a nice touch—but the match just feels like its missing something.

Vince McMahon throwing out the stipulation that his daughter and her husband will be removed from power if their team lost also comes off as a rather rushed and haphazard booking move.

Credit: WWE.com

You’d think a major storyline like that would have been drawn out a little longer, perhaps to the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania. But these days, WWE’s erratic booking team appears to just be throwing everything out there and not thinking long-term.

At least bringing back Orton—and having him be the one who picks up the win for Team Cena—would refocus this hasty, cluttered storyline and get some good out of it.

A returning Orton standing over various fallen Authority team members and emerging triumphant from Survivor Series would garner the star considerable momentum, which he’ll need as he positions himself as the new No. 2 babyface.