With the 14th annual Money in the Bank premium live event right around the corner and the card starting to build, WWE is due for a surprise or two. The 2023 MITB will be featured, for the first time, outside of the US and emanate from the O2 Arena in London, England.
Being the first MITB to hit England deserves a surprise wind of the highest caliber, and if fans are fortunate enough they will receive that surprise in a return by “The Viper” Randy Orton. The only question that follows Orton’s potential return to action is, who will his first target be?
Rated RK-No
The most likely avenue that Orton will take is also one of the most obvious, the return and eventual demise of RK-Bro. This scenario has written itself as Orton has been out with injury and Matt Riddle has been too busy to pay tribute to The Viper while he recovers
During the months of rehab, Orton could claim that he never heard a sound from his closest ally and in turn, watched as Riddle squandered opportunity after opportunity to succeed in singles action. This inability to reach Orton’s standards has made Orton resentful and now he is looking to teach his former partner the lesson of respect. This could lead to an upper card bout between Orton and Riddle at SummerSlam.
Venom in the Blood
The second option for Orton’s targets is at the top of the ladder, the “Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns. With Reigns busy fending off The Usos and maintaining order within The Bloodline, this could be a prime opportunity for The Viper to strike and attempt to take gold. The route taken here is that Orton is open about this being his last potential run, but also serves as motivation for him to upset Reign’s historic run.
With Orton coming into the picture as a surprise competitor for Reign’s championship, the door is open to creating an epic triple-threat showdown at SummerSlam between Reigns, Jey Uso, and Orton. Given the underdog status of Jey Uso in that instance, a victory would skyrocket Uso to new heights. The possibility of this potential feud could create a new star or service the egos of current and former champs.
The Long and Winding Rhodes
Both Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes, are second-generation talents with fathers being former champions in multiple territories, so this feud could be very interesting. Orton knowing that his career is approaching the end of the road and Cody Rhodes aware of the legacy that rests with his family, it would be no surprise to see a feud like this last far past SummerSlam.
The course would initiate at MITB as Orton RKOs Rhodes following his victory against Dominik Mysterio; establishing dominance over the other two second-generation stars. Rhodes, being already established as a long-term upper card to Main Event talent, would benefit the most in this feud as he needs a solid win over a future WWE Legend. Orton would simply use this as a starting point to returning to the top of the marquees.
Either way, this feud has the potential to bring out a few gimmick matches to keep fans connected outside of any title matches.
End of Days
If Randy Orton is going to get one last solid run and he returns at MITB, then we have to see his former partner and enemy appear; Edge. These two have such a deeply rooted history that it is almost necessary that they battle to the end in what will be an epic feud. Understanding that both talents are approaching the end of their careers, Orton and Edge could rehash old memories while giving audiences everywhere a battle to end all battles.
MITB would be a great venue to see both talents appear and even cross paths. Time will tell and it has the potential to say a lot. Regardless of who The Viper chooses to strike first, the outcome is going to be interesting. It can be difficult to remember the last time Orton was not visible in the WWE Universe, so let’s hope that MITB is where he sets his sights.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the WWE Network and Peacock.
