Randy Orton made a triumphant return to WWE SmackDown, teaming up with Kevin Owens to defeat Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, marking his first appearance after losing to Gunther. Initially, Owens introduced indie wrestler Ricky Gibson as his mystery partner, but after a brief stint, he replaced Gibson with Orton, who secured the victory with an RKO. Owens refused to team up with Giovanni Vinci, expressing a clear dislike for him. Fans reacted positively to Orton's comeback, and there were discussions about Gibson's brief moment on the main stage.