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Randy Orton Returns, Team Rhodes Beats The Judgment Day In WarGames At WWE Survivor Series 2023

Wrestling
Colin Tessier Nov 25, 2023 10:56PM

Randy Orton returned and helped Team Rhodes score a huge win.

At WWE Survivor Series 2023, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, and Randy Orton faced The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Priest, and JD McDonagh) and Drew McIntyre in the Men's WarGames Match. Throughout the show leading up to the match, Rhodes' team dealt with some uncertainty, as Sami Zayn revealed that Randy Orton wasn't there yet. Orton still seemingly hadn't arrived by the time the match began.

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Seth Rollins and Finn Balor started the bout, and the WWE World Heavyweight Champion took the fight to his rival. Balor sent Rollins flying with a backdrop onto the steel between the rings. They battled back and forth. JD McDonagh entered the match, and the Judgment Day duo took control as McDonagh brought a kendo stick into the ring. They ganged up on Rollins, but Jey Uso evened the odds with a steel chair. Damian Priest entered the match and seemingly frustrated Drew McIntyre in the process.

He gained the upper hand with a steel baton. The Judgment Day controlled the action, but Sami Zayn entered the bout and brought a table with him. Zayn took a bar from the cage and hit McDonagh and Priest with it. Drew McIntyre entered the cage and overpowered his opponents. He slammed Uso into the wall of the cage. Zayn and Uso rallied, just in time for Cody Rhodes to enter. Rhodes turned the momentum in his team's favor. Rhodes pulled out a bullrope and teamed up with Rollins to use it.

Rollins briefly argued with Rhodes. Dominik Mysterio entered the bout and helped the Judgment Day take control again. Team Rhodes ganged up on Dominik. The Judgment Day rallied again and grounded their opponents. Priest sent Rollins through a table with a Razor's Edge. Finally, when Randy Orton was set to enter, Rhea Ripley came down to the ring, hoping to help him cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. But Orton came down to the ring, making his first appearance on WWE programming since May 2022. Orton single-handedly took control of the action.

The Judgment Day collectively attacked Orton, but his teammates made the save. Orton and his team all hit stereo spike DDTs. He teased hitting Uso with RJO and confronted him, but The Viper dropped Dominik with an RKO. Orton's teammates hit their finishers, and McDonagh was left by himself. Rollins and Zayn stopped McDonagh from climbing out of the cage. They threw him to Orton, who floored McDonagh with an RKO. Orton gave Priest to Rhodes, who hit the Crossrhodes for the win.

CM Punk made his return to WWE after the bell while Team Rhodes celebrated their win.

Orton hadn't wrestled since the May 20, 2022, episode of WWE SmackDown, as he had been sidelined following a back fusion surgery. Rhodes announced that he would return at WWE Survivor Series on the November 20 episode of WWE Raw.

The match marked McDonagh's first time competing at a WWE Premium Live Event since he joined the main roster. He moved to WWE Raw in the 2023 WWE Draft.

Click here to catch up on our coverage of WWE Survivor Series. For a full review, check out the post-show podcast on our YouTube channel.

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