Former World Champ Returns on RAW

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On tonight’s Monday Night RAW, Shawn Michaels made his return, coming out in a surprise moment at the end of the night to confront the man who put him out of action six months ago: WWE Champion Randy Orton.

A shocked crowd in Grand Rapids, MI, was sent home happy as HBK came down to the ring and left Orton laying with a super kick. It was a long time coming, as Orton had concussed Michaels with a punt to the head in April, putting the former World Champ out of action.

Of course, that’s all kayfabe. In real life, Michaels has been recovering from knee surgery and general aches and pains, and there were even rumors going around that he wouldn’t return.

But with WWE’s lack of depth and need for big names to step in while John Cena is out for six to 12 months, HBK couldn’t have picked a better spot for a surprise comeback. Randy Orton — first as part of Team Rated RKO with Edge and then as a singles wrestler — has been feuding with DX members Shawn Michaels and HHH for over a year, so it’s probably safe to assume that depending on WWE’s plans for the rumored-to-be-returning Chris Jericho, the feud will start up again now and dominate RAW for at least the rest of the year. Either way, it’s a good month to be a former champ with long, blonde hair…

Matthew Michaels is editor emeritus of Pulse Wrestling, and has been since the site launched.