Report: WWE Bringing Back Injured Star For WrestleMania 39

A major return could take place at WrestleMania 39. 

According to PWInsider, WWE are planning to bring in Randy Orton for the 2023 edition of the Show of Shows but it has not been confirmed if he will be making an appearance during the pay-per-view. 

It has been suggested in recent weeks that Orton has been preparing for an in-ring return. He contacted a bootmaker in February about getting boots made for his return and reports this week have claimed there have been 'rumblings' within WWE about Orton after he hadn't been discussed for some time. 

The 14-time world champion has been out of action since May 2022 with a serious back injury and it was feared last year that Orton might never wrestle again. The Viper underwent lower back fusion surgery in November. 

How WWE plan to reintroduce Orton is unknown. Original plans reportedly called for him to turn on Matt Riddle upon his return but his RK-Bro tag team partner is also off TV dealing with his own issues.