Randy Orton returns, result of WWE title match at SummerSlam
Randy Orton is back, and it’s clear who he’s after.
After a dramatic back-and-forth match at WWE SummerSlam, CM Punk retained the WWE Championship thanks to help from an unlikely source. After Punk crashed through an announce table, Rhodes was recovering in the ring when suddenly Orton emerged and gave Rhodes an RKO. He made his exit as Punk recovered, unaware that Orton had been involved. He connected with the GTS then covered to retain the title he won one month ago.
“Just milking it”
Saturday’s return marks the first time Orton has been on WWE television since WrestleMania 42, where he lost to Rhodes in a match that was for the WWE Championship. It was reported that Orton was out of action due to a recurring back injury, though Orton later took to social media saying he was gone from television to “milk” his WrestleMania loss.
Rhodes was champion until Night of Champions, where he lost the WWE title to Sami Zayn. Last month, Punk returned from his absence and defeated Zayn in an impromptu match for the WWE Championship on Raw. Rhodes quickly made his claim for the title a few days later on SmackDown, with Punk accepting a match for SummerSlam.
Bryan Rose is an editor from California that has been covering professional wrestling for well over a decade. He officially joined F4WOnline as an editor in 2017.