Reason Randy Orton Was On Raw Before Joining WWE SmackDown

Randy Orton will be appearing on SmackDown exclusively going forward, despite appearing on last week's episode of Monday Night Raw.

The 14-time former WWE World Champion made his return to TV at Survivor Series, after missing over a year of action due to injury. Orton joined World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn, to defeat The Judgment Day & Drew McIntyre inside WarGames.

On the Raw after Survivor Series, Orton appeared on the broadcast and made it clear that he is coming for every single member of The Bloodline. Later in the show, Orton competed in the main event where he defeated 'Dirty' Dominik Mysterio.

During last week's SmackDown, Orton chose to sign with the blue brand, leaving some fans questioning why he appeared on Raw at all. Fightful Select reports that WWE wanted to capitalize on Orton's return at Survivor Series by having him appear on Raw. It also allowed Orton to wrap up a couple of storylines.

WWE also wanted to give Orton closure with Jey Uso, who, unlike the rest of his family, is now a face on programming. While Orton has said he is coming for every member of The Bloodline, Jey will be safe from the Viper's wrath.

WWE is happy with Orton's return thus far and was pleased with his conditioning and performance inside the WarGames structure at Survivor Series. Michael Hayes produced Orton's segment on Raw and SmackDown last week. The Fabulous Freebird has focused primarily on Roman Reigns’ segments, and things related to The Bloodline.