The absence of Randy Orton continues, and a new source indicates that he will be out of action for some time.
Since the May 20th episode of WWE SmackDown, where he and Riddle lost the RAW Tag Team Championship to The Usos, “The Viper” has not wrestled. Fightful Select later announced that Orton had a “severe” injury and would likely miss the remainder of the 2022 season. Randy Orton to miss 2023 Royal Rumble due to extended injury period.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Orton required a lumbar fusion, and the procedure is expected to keep him out of action for the foreseeable future. Uncertain about when the surgery occurred, Orton’s wife recently uploaded a photo of him in the hospital. Sapp cited WWE sources who stated that the organization would be “lucky” to have Orton back, given the severity of the injury and the duration of his career up to this point.
Sources claim that when Orton was initially injured, he insisted that he would return. At the time of writing, however, there is no timeline for Orton’s comeback. According to the article, Orton is under contract with WWE through 2024, but it is unknown whether the deal might be extended or frozen due to the injury.
In a unification match on the 20th episode of SmackDown, RK-Bro lost the Raw Tag Team Championships to The Usos. The Bloodline eliminated Orton off television after the game by laying him out.
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