Was Survivor Series the ideal moment for Randy Orton to make his WWE comeback?
The Viper received a hero’s welcome at the recent Premium Live event as the Allstate Arena erupted when his music hit. However, according to Eric Bischoff, the Royal Rumble could have been the better location for the moment.
Speaking on 83 Weeks, Bischoff discussed Orton’s comeback and pitched how a Rumble return could have been booked. The Hall of Famer noted how it shouldn’t be the same as Triple H’s comeback in 2002 but instead drop little hints here and there that would culminate at the event itself:
“We’ve been hearing about Randy making his comeback and perhaps making a comeback, we didn’t know when, but we knew he was on his way. That could have been held off til Royal Rumble, couldn’t it, and perhaps even built upon over the next few months? Not saying replicate the Triple H thing when he came back in 2002 and show him working out, getting ready. That’s kind of old-school, been there, done that, not as effective.
But there are other things that could have been done over the course of the next three months that could have helped build anticipation, since it wasn’t going to be a surprise, let’s build anticipation for it and whether or not it actually happens, and have it happen at Royal Rumble. I think it probably could have been better for Randy individually.
Although Orton competed in the main event of Survivor Series, fans will always remember the show for what happened after the final match, which saw CM Punk make his return to WWE. Some have stated that Punk’s return overshadowed Orton, with some fans speculating that The Apex Predator may have been annoyed by this. Addressing this, Bischoff believes the opposite and that this will only motivate Orton more:
But I don’t think anybody’s sad. I don’t know Randy really well. I’ve gotten to know him a little bit over the years. I don’t think he was sitting at home, going, ‘Wow, they were excited me about for 20 minutes, and then not so much.’ That’s not Randy at all. The Randy that I think I know is going, ‘Cool, talk about CM Punk all you want. Wait til you see what happens next week.’ Because Randy will bring it into the ring. Not that CM Punk can’t or won’t. But there’s something special about Randy, and I think at the end of it all, they’ll be talking about Randy,”
Long-Time Rival Praises Randy Orton
With over 20 years on the WWE main roster, Orton has been involved in rivalries with some of the biggest names in the industry. Following the return, multiple stars past and present expressed how happy they were to see The Viper back on WWE TV once again, with Triple H stating how happy he was at the post-show press conference. One of The Viper’s greatest rivals, John Cena, took to social media to praise Randy Orton.
H/t to Fightful.