It was a night of massive returns at WWE’s “Survivor Series” event at Chicago’s Allstate Arena, with two of the company’s most legendary performers making their presence felt.
Randy Orton was announced Monday as the final participant in the “WarGames” main event match, and he was the final participant introduced:
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Orton had been out of action since May 2022 after suffering a back injury, which had required surgery and threatened to end his wrestling career.
After the conclusion of the “WarGames” match, the WWE had one more surprise for viewers, as CM Punk made his return to the company:
A Chicago native, CM Punk had previously worked for WWE until 2014, then signed with All Elite Wrestling in 2021. He was fired by the company in September after a reported altercation with Jack Perry, with CEO Tony Khan saying that the wrestler’s actions had “endangered people.”
Another WWE performer also made his on-camera return during the event, with R-Truth, out since Nov. 2022 because of an injury, appearing during an advertisement segment.
It is unknown which WWE brands R-Truth, Orton and CM Punk will appear with moving forward, with the company’s next premium event not scheduled until late January.