WWE Rumors on Randy Orton & Kevin Owens, CM Punk Talks Heel Turn and Sabin Reacts to MCMG AEW Debut

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Orton, Owens WWE Returns Reportedly Expected Soon

WWE reportedly may be on the verge of getting two of its biggest stars back in the fold.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlePurists), Randy Orton and Kevin Owens are both expected to return to WWE programming in the near future.

Orton reportedly could be back within the next week, meaning a return at this weekend's SummerSlam premium live event is a possibility.

As for Owens, Meltzer noted that he has had a "frustratingly long" recovery from neck surgery, but has dropped a significant amount of weight during his absence and is trending toward a return.

Orton has not appeared on WWE TV since competing in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 42 in April. Orton fell short in his attempt to win the WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes, but he punted Rhodes in the head after the match.

Per Meltzer, Orton has been out with an injury despite his insistence that his absence since WrestleMania has been voluntary time off.

Among active wrestlers, the 46-year-old Orton has been with WWE longer than anyone, as he made his main roster debut in 2002.

He has dealt with his fair share of wear and tear as a result, including missing about 18 months from 2022 to 2023 because of a back injury.

Owens, 42, has not wrestled a match since March 2025 because of a neck injury that required surgery.

When Orton and Owens do return, Meltzer (h/t WrestlePurists) noted that both of them would be potential opponents for CM Punk should he retain the WWE Championship against Rhodes at SummerSlam.

Punk Addresses Possibly Turning Heel

CM Punk has been among WWE's most popular Superstars since returning to the company in November 2023, and it doesn't sound as though he has much interest in a heel run any time soon.

When asked about his preference between being a heel or babyface by SiriusXM's WWE Radio on Thursday, Punk suggested that he wouldn't work as a heel currently due to his connection with the fans:

"The good guy, bad guy thing, I think, is decided by the audience," Punk said. "It's their perspective. I think I am an incredible black hat that people love so much. It wouldn't work. I'd still get cheered. It would defeat the purpose. It's a real double-edged sword at this point."

Punk is the reigning WWE champion, and he is in the midst of one of the best runs of what was already a legendary career before he returned to WWE nearly three years ago.

After dropping the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 42, Punk took some time off. He returned earlier this month as a surprise opponent for then-WWE champion Sami Zayn on Raw in Punk's hometown of Chicago.

Punk beat Zayn for the WWE Championship, much to the delight of the Chicago faithful, which set the stage for a title defense against Cody Rhodes this weekend at SummerSlam.

Since Punk and Rhodes are both babyfaces, some have theorized that there could be a heel turn in order to spice things up.

However, while Punk has a long history of success as a heel, it simply doesn't feel as though the WWE Universe has any desire to boo him at this point in his career.

Sabin Comments on MCMG's AEW Debut

The Motor City Machine Guns made their AEW debut in their hometown of Detroit during Thursday night's episode of Collision, and Chris Sabin took to social media afterward to share his reaction.

In a post on X, Sabin described his AEW debut alongside Alex Shelley as being "in the running for all time favorite career moments for me."

Originally formed in 2006, The Motor City Machine Guns have been regarded as one of the best tag teams in pro wrestling for the past two decades.

After successful runs in TNA, ROH and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Sabin and Shelley finally took their talents to the biggest wrestling company in the world when they signed with WWE in 2024.

The Motor City Machine Guns achieved instant success, winning the WWE Tag Team Championships in one of their first matches.

However, WWE placed less emphasis on the SmackDown tag team division in the months that followed, and The Motor City Machine Guns were released from their contracts in April 2026.

Now, Sabin and Shelley join a stacked tag team division in AEW that includes Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, The Young Bucks, FTR and potentially New Day should they sign with AEW once their WWE non-complete clause has expired.

There are several dream matches for The Motor City Machine Guns to pursue in AEW, and that should help them add to what is already a legendary résumé.