Randy Orton returning to WWE Raw, will kick off episode
Tonight’s Raw will feature Randy Orton’s first appearance on the show in more than a month.
WWE has announced that Orton will be making his return to Raw tonight. It will be the first time Orton has appeared on WWE television since the June 21 episode of Raw.
Orton posted a tweet announcing that he’ll be kicking off tonight’s show: “Been away for a bit, but tonight, I’m back on #WWERaw … and I won’t keep you waiting, I’m kicking off the show. #ViperIsBack”
The June 28 edition of Raw was supposed to feature Orton facing Drew McIntyre and AJ Styles in a triple threat last chance Money in the Bank qualifying match. But it was said that Orton wasn’t cleared to compete on the show. Orton’s tag team partner Riddle instead won a battle royal and advanced to take Orton’s place in the qualifying match. Riddle was competing on Orton’s behalf, but McIntyre pinned him to win the match.
Riddle has recently been feuding with Raw Tag Team Champions Styles & Omos. On Raw two weeks ago, Riddle lost to John Morrison when he was distracted by Omos breaking his scooter. Styles then laid out Riddle with a Styles Clash after the match.
Omos defeated Riddle in a singles match on Raw last week.
Tonight’s Raw is taking place at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Here’s the updated lineup for the show:
- WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and MVP will address Lashley’s title defense against Goldberg at SummerSlam
- Charlotte Flair will respond to her loss against Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. from last week
- Randy Orton returns to kick off Raw
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.