Randy Orton’s WWE return date revealed

Randy Orton hasn’t been seen on WWE TV for several months, with many fans directing their backlash at Triple H for his lack of consistent booking for the legendary star.

John Cena was recently handed a retirement tour, which eclipsed WWE’s calendar year, while The Viper has become an afterthought. That being said, the company’s recent advertisements for the first episode of SmackDown in 2026 could see the return of the star.

WWE.com shared the update, which sees stars like Cody Rhodes, Orton and Jade Cargill set to be part of the show.

Now that John Cena’s WWE exit is in the rearview mirror, it appears that the focus will be on the upcoming Royal Rumble and Saturday Night’s Main Event at the end of the month.

Randy Orton’s WWE return is long overdue

It’s unclear why Randy Orton hasn’t been part of the recent episodes of SmackDown or why he wasn’t part of John Cena’s final show. The two men came up together, and their careers ran side by side, but the decision was seemingly made not to include him.

Orton hasn’t been featured in main-level feuds for much of the year and missed events including Crown Jewel, Wrestlepalooza, and Survivor Series. 2026 could be a different year for The Legend Killer, especially since Gunther now has the “Career Killer” moniker, and Orton could have something to say about that.

WWE’s episode of RAW on January 5th is expected to be a huge event, with a Stranger Things crossover planned, just days after the season five finale of the show airs worldwide on Netflix. SmackDown will kick off the year a few days earlier and could feature a huge return for Orton, who has a bone to pick with several stars after missing a large chunk of the year.