May 2023 marks one year since Randy Orton suffered a back injury that sidelined him from active competition. The Apex Predator was in a highly popular tag team alongside Matt Riddle, and the duo was the Raw Tag Team Champions before losing the title to The Usos on an episode of SmackDown in May 2022.
Orton’s WWE legacy rests largely on the shoulders of his impressive 14 world title reigns. He is the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in the company’s history and is also one of the greatest heels to have graced the squared circle. Before his unfortunate absence, Orton was having the time of his life alongside Riddle, with The Viper also completing 20 years in the company.
In a 20+ year career @WWE, I’ve done a LOT. The time spent w @SuperKingofBros has been up there among my favorite. Aside from the jokes , he’s a serious competitor and athlete & a future world champion. But before that happens, we’re unifying those tag team titles on #Smackdown https://t.co/jA2dROsoia
— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) May 19, 2022
With WrestleMania now done and dusted, fans were hoping that The Apex Predator would return to the company soon to aid his former tag team partner or even turn heel, to the shock of everyone. However, that has not been the case. On the contrary, Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer has reported that Orton is “nowhere close” to returning to the ring.
This comes as a huge setback for those who were hoping to see Randy Orton embark on one last world title run or even get close to matching John Cena and Ric Flair’s record of 16 world titles. But that does not seem to be the case any longer.
Does this mean the end of Randy Orton’s WWE career?
The Viper has been out after undergoing back fusion surgery. While details of the surgery and the injury are still a bit murky, fans have been hoping to see the legend return to the ring. However, that might not be possible anytime soon.
It is very likely that Orton will miss the rest of the year recuperating from the surgery. Even if he is cleared to wrestle, his mobility inside the ring and how he will perform the RKO, his finisher, remain doubtful. While Randy Orton himself has not hinted at retirement, WWE’s silence and his absence during the WWE Draft have aggravated the concerns of fans.
I cannot explain how much I miss Randy Orton 💔 pic.twitter.com/w9eYjEIyrV
— ᴅᴇᴀᴅꜱʜᴏᴛ 🐍 (@RKODeadshot) May 12, 2023
There are only a few wrestlers in the world who have gained as much popularity and amassed such a huge following as Randy Orton. While his career is hopefully far from over, fans have begun to prepare for the worst. Fans will wish that there is still one last RKO left in him before hanging up those wrestling boots.