Major star ruled out for WWE RAW's Netflix debut following injury

Randy Orton’s return to WWE television has been delayed, as reports indicate he won’t be appearing on RAW’s Netflix debut. The Viper has been sidelined since November 8, when Kevin Owens delivered a Package Piledriver that led to a cervical injury on SmackDown.

Following the attack, WWE medical personnel had to stretcher Orton from the arena. The company later confirmed the severity of his injury through an official statement.

Addressing speculation about Orton’s potential appearance on the January 6 Netflix premiere, Sportskeeda’s Dr. Chris Featherstone provided an update on the situation:

I’ve had a bunch of people inquire about the status of Randy Orton regarding January 6. I’ve been informed that he is currently not scheduled to be a part of the debut episode of #WWERaw on Netflix.

Potential WrestleMania 41 scenario emerges

As discussions about Orton’s eventual return continue, wrestling analyst Sam Roberts has proposed an intriguing storyline for The Viper. Speaking on his Notsam Wrestling podcast, Roberts outlined a scenario where Orton could capture the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes at Royal Rumble 2025, setting up a historic clash with John Cena at WrestleMania 41.

Now, we’re talking the what if scenarios are anything from, you know, who’s gonna win the Royal Rumble to face Cody Rhodes? What if Randy Orton takes the title? Now this one has to go. Maybe John Cena wins the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton wins the WWE Championship, now you’ve got your WrestleMania match. There’s so many ways you could go.

Cena recently announced his 2025 retirement tour and confirmed his participation in the Royal Rumble Match, while Rhodes remains involved in an ongoing storyline with both Owens and Orton.