WWE has no shortage of rumors and the most dominant one of recent times was nothing other than the potential return of the recently dismissed AEW star, CM Punk. From WWE sending continuous teases through Seth Rollins’ promo to Cole Michael dishing out undeniable cues, it almost made Punk’s return inevitable. To top that off, WWE fans continue their cheering streak in the weekly shows for The Best In the World.

The speculation has been running high regarding Punk making a return at the highly hyped-up WarGames on Survivor Series this month until the star himself denied the notion recently. Now, his absence has been more solidified with WWE proceeding to bring Randy Orton into the picture.

Is WWE pulling the plug on the CM Punk return rumors by bringing another fan favorite to Survivor Series?

Drew McIntyre has not been at his best for a few weeks. It seems like the Scottish Psychopath is a bit distracted. He ranted about his failed chance to clinch the championship gold due to influence from The Bloodline. But WWE has already moved in the direction of having Mclntyre on The Judgement Day’s side for Survivor Series WarGames.

Now, the babyface team needs one more member with Seth Rollins, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and Cody Rhodes being already on the list to meet WWE’s age-old tradition. And as per the latest report by FightfulSelect, Randy Orton will return to fill up the void, leaving no chance for Punk.

The report reads, “We’ve actually heard that’s been the working plan for the match for months now. Specifically, McIntyre has been planned for the heel/Judgment Day side of things, making it a 5-man team. The plan since this summer for the babyface side was a returning Randy Orton, with the reveal tentatively planned before the day of the show as to avoid any CM Punk speculation.”

Read more: Major Update on Randy Orton’s WWE Return as He Gets Spotted Entering WWE Training Facility

While the piece of information is no doubt exciting for Orton’s fans and shattering at the same time for Punk’s admirers, we saw it coming earlier.

Randy Orton’s in-ring return has been long-awaited

The Viper has been absent from the WWE ring since May last year due to a grave back injury. In recent times, as the star has been medically cleared for an in-ring return, fans started to run high with rumors of The Apex Predator’s potential return.

A report from BWE revealed that The Legend Killer is really gearing up to return, and it is now just a matter of time to make it happen. WWE Survivor Series, the next premium live event on the calendar on November 25 in Chicago, looks to be an ideal time for it.

Now, with another brand new update, we can really count on the hope of Orton finally reverting back to what he does best this month after almost 6 months of hiatus.

Watch the story: Randy Orton’s Return To WWE Rumored To Be Grander Than Past Times Reports Suggest

What’s your take on WWE trying to shut CM Punk’s return rumors down by planning to bring another bigwig in the lore?