For those who caught World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) RAW last Monday, a curious absentee for the day was Randy Orton.
Originally, Orton was to partner with Dean Ambrose against the Wyatt family duo of Luke Harper and Braun Strowman for WWE Hell in a Cell, but a look at the WWE site now would show no traces of that match.
So with that and the Viper's absence at RAW, rumors of the Viper possibly down due to injury have swirled. It was initially mentioned by commentator Michael Cole that Orton is suffering an injury, but it seems follow-up reports now state that the Viper is down with a rumored shoulder injury.
Orton has had a history of shoulder injuries but pending affirmation from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the extent of the injury, there is no word on when the Viper may return.
The return will, however, not happen at WWE Hell in a Cell where Orton would have been in that kick-off tag match with Ambrose against the Wyatts. That card is no longer up and is now replaced by six-man tag match pitting the team of Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, and Neville against the trio of King Barrett, Sheamus and Rusev.
So what will Ambrose, Luke Harper, Braun Strowman and the returning Erick Rowan be doing at this Sunday's pay-per-view (PPV)?
Of the mix, it would be hard to think that Ambrose would be sitting it out. He is a fan-favorite so it will be interesting to see if he will still be in a match. Could it be another guessing game on who could partner (maybe even two) with Ambrose against the Wyatts?
As for Orton, his presence in the WWE scene has been on and off. He was initially believed to be taking a leave but suddenly he re-appeared. Now, he is out again and with good reason; so the proper question is when can the Viper make his return?
