Two major WWE stars could be returning to television in the near future.
According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, both Randy Orton and Kevin Owens are expected to return to WWE programming “very soon,” with Orton potentially making his comeback as early as next week.
Meltzer also shed new light on Orton’s absence, noting that despite public suggestions he was simply taking the summer off, the former world champion was legitimately dealing with a back injury.
“Orton was one of those guys who claimed he wasn’t injured and just taking the summer off, but in fact he was injured. He was actually scheduled to beat Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania unless they felt his back was going to not allow it. When they realized that was the case, all kinds of plans were changed.”
Meltzer speculated that Orton’s eventual return could immediately place him in WWE’s top championship storyline.
“I could see Orton screwing Rhodes or CM Punk to keep the other out of the WWE title picture because there is no reason for him to return now unless it’s to work with one of those two, and Rhodes being the more likely one would think.”
Meanwhile, Kevin Owens also appears to be nearing an in-ring return. Owens has been sidelined since undergoing successful neck fusion surgery in July 2025 and has reportedly lost a significant amount of weight during his rehabilitation.
While WWE has yet to officially announce a timetable for either superstar’s return, it appears both veterans could be back on television in the coming weeks, adding even more star power to the company’s post-SummerSlam landscape.
