Below are a couple of top WWE news stories of the day, featuring Randy Orton and Sunny.
• Randy Orton, who’s on a hiatus from WWE television, is expected to return by the Royal Rumble on February 1, 2025, or possibly sooner.
WrestleVotes shared that Orton’s comeback is imminent, though he won’t appear on RAW’s Netflix debut on January 6.
Orton’s last match occurred on October 25, when he teamed with Cody Rhodes against Imperium. He was written off TV after Kevin Owens attacked him with a piledriver on November 8, causing cervical cord neuropraxia.
Speculation suggests Orton might return during the Royal Rumble, potentially interfering in the ladder match between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens to seek revenge for being sidelined.
New Video: Randy Orton Grabs His Wife’s Knockers On RAW:
• The District Court of Appeal of Florida upheld Tammy “Sunny” Sytch’s conviction and sentencing for a 2022 DUI manslaughter incident that resulted in the death of Julian Lasseter. Sytch, a WWE Hall of Famer, was sentenced to 17 years in prison and 8 years of probation for DUI-related offenses, including operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and cannabis without a valid license.
Sytch appealed her conviction, but the court affirmed the trial ruling without an opinion. Her court-appointed lawyer withdrew, citing no arguable merit in the appeal. Sytch has not filed further legal briefs as of now.
The fatal crash occurred when Sytch, intoxicated and with an unsealed vodka bottle in her vehicle, rear-ended Lasseter’s car. At her sentencing, she apologized to the Lasseter family, expressing remorse and calling the incident a “terrible accident”.
Sytch’s release is slated for September 23, 2039. A civil lawsuit from Lasseter’s estate seeking over $30,000 in damages is scheduled for March 2025, alleging negligence and seeking compensation for medical, funeral expenses, and emotional suffering.
Despite her conviction, Sytch remains in the WWE Hall of Fame, marking the first time an inductee has been convicted of a felony post-induction. WWE has not removed Hall of Fame members in similar situations, though suspensions have occurred.
