WWE Must Bring Back Randy Orton And Drew McIntyre At Money In The Bank

WWE Money in the Bank 2023 could feature two blockbuster returns: Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre.

According to WRKD Wrestling, Orton—who’s been out of action since May 2022 with a back injury—“is expected to be nearing a return, possibly even as soon as this weekend’s Money In The Bank.” In addition, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t TJRWrestling) reports that WWE is “hopeful of getting” McIntyre back in time for Satuday’s Money in the Bank show while PWInsider Elite says that he is expected to be back “in the mix” by Saturday’s event in London.

WWE, in particular the Raw brand, has had a noticeable lack of star power at the top of the card in recent months. That can be attributed to the absences of Orton, who’s missed nearly 14 months, and McIntyre, who hasn’t been seen since being drafted to Raw in April, reportedly due to both creative and contract issues.

The one positive to come out of their extended absences is the increased TV time for upper midcard and borderline main event villains, like Gunther, Finn Balor and the rest of Judgment Day. However, as Intercontinental Champion—which is still a midcard championship—Gunther hasn’t been fully elevated to the world title scene.

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As a result, WWE has resorted to reverting to Seth Rollins vs. Balor as its first World Heavyweight Championship feud. Though that rivalry has been better than expected, it’s an illogical one given that Rollins beat Balor clean in the WHC tournament just a few weeks before challenging him for that title.

That, however, is a sign of the lack of top heels on Raw. Gunther and Balor are the only established, or believable, main eventers, and there’s a steep dropoff to the next level of antagonists, with names like Bronson Reed, Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest in the mix. While those stars have built up some solid momentum, none are really entrenched as believable world championship contenders.

This is where Orton and McIntyre come in.

McIntyre has spent the past few years as a babyface and has had plenty of success in that role, winning the Royal Rumble and becoming a two-time WWE Champion. But McIntyre has also hit a wall as a fan favorite, and with the Scottish superstar apparently unsatisfied with his booking as he nears the end of his contract, WWE would be wise to turn McIntyre’s frown upside down.

He is, after all, one of WWE’s best all-around performers, and he’s badly needed on Raw, which—outside of Gunther—doesn’t have a villain who can carry the show’s main event moving forward. Not only would a McIntyre return and heel turn at Money in the Bank instantly improve Raw’s depth problem, but it could also creatively satisfy McIntyre and potentially prevent him from leaving, maybe for AEW, due to those aforementioned creative differences.

There is no better stage for that heel turn than at Money in the Bank in London, where McIntyre is a massive star and a surprise return can send shockwaves throughout Raw. McIntyre, say, attacking Rollins after a successful world title defense would instantly create a top feud on Raw that could carry the show into SummerSlam.

That role could also be filled by Orton, who could also return either to assist or feud with his former tag team partner Matt Riddle. Orton’s old RK-Bro pal will be facing Gunther in a major Intercontinental title match at Money in the Bank, presenting WWE with a great opportunity to either reunite the duo or have Orton return to his heel roots and attack Riddle.

Of course, Orton is a much more natural heel, and WWE has enough top babyfaces to carry Raw, with Riddle, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens—as well as the likes of Ricochet and Shinsuke Nakamura—giving Raw a strong core of lovable babyfaces in the upper midcard and main event scene.

If WWE can have both Orton and McIntyre—or at least one of them—return at Money in the Bank and do so as heels, then Raw would receive an instant jolt of excitement and talent on the heel side.

With Orton, McIntyre, Gunther, Reed, Balor and Judgment Day near the top of the card on Monday nights, WWE would suddenly have a solid collection of strong heels to make the show even more compelling than it has been in recent months.