WWE may have subtly hinted at the return of Roman Reigns' original SummerSlam opponent at Backlash 2023

It's the return we were all waiting for - that of Roman Reigns' original SummerSlam 2022 opponent Randy Orton. The Viper has been out of action since May 2022, when The Usos defeated RK-Bro to unify the Tag Team Titles. After nearly a year, WWE may finally be preparing for his return.

Orton's injury in 2022 was worse than expected, as it instantly shut down RKO's momentum and halted what was considered an otherwise excellent run. Randy Orton was rumored to be Roman Reigns' originally scheduled opponent for SummerSlam 2022, but the injury caused a change in plans, and WWE went with the final Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar match instead.

On RAW, Matt Riddle has been aligning with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn against The Bloodline, with a few teases being made in between referencing his RK-Bro days. Each passing week has seen Riddle's importance increase, and the fact that he is in yet another six-man tag team match at Backlash against The Bloodline is a massive indication that WWE could be setting up Orton's return.

Huge W for @SuperKingofBros over Jimmy @WWEUsos!
#WWERaw #WWE https://t.co/basmDFYL7u

The Bloodline has been a bit on the back foot lately, with Jimmy Uso losing to Riddle on RAW and Solo Sikoa losing to Seth Rollins after a DQ. The Bloodline has obvious cracks, but it seems to be setting up a potential win against The Undisputed Tag Team Champions and Matt Riddle at Backlash.

#RKBro have accepted The @WWEUsos challenge!

#SmackDown @RandyOrton @SuperKingofBros @HeymanHustle https://t.co/H16gWQEmrD

If that does happen, then Randy Orton could return at Backlash 2023. It would be a welcome return to the WWE roster and a breath of fresh air.

Are you excited for The Viper's inevitable return to TV? Should he be a future opponent of Roman Reigns? Let us know in the comments section below!