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There is no off-season in WWE. Superstars are on the road almost every day of the year, including official public holidays, entertaining fans across the globe. They put their bodies on the line every given time, which inevitably takes a painful physical toll.
Injuries are anything but a rarity in the hazardous and physical world of professional wrestling. However, the current list of shelved WWE Superstars is long, and some may be sidelined for the rest of the year.
On that note, let's take a look at five current WWE stars who may not return until 2023.
#5 Logan Paul will not wrestle until 2023 due to severe knee injury.
At WWE Crown Jewel, Logan Paul silenced all critics when he took Roman Reigns to the absolute limit in a thrilling main event for the ages. The Maverick, as promised, put on the performance of a lifetime, but his endearing endeavor came at an excruciatingly painful cost.
As he disclosed on Twitter, Paul suffered a torn MCL and meniscus during his war with The Tribal Chief. He also noted a potentially torn ACL, which would dramatically exacerbate a serious knee injury.
Fortunately, Jake Paul, his brother, recently clarified that the 27-year-old didn’t tear his ACL. Despite the comforting news, Logan Paul will be sidelined for an undisclosed period with no definite time frame.
The Maverick teased a blockbuster showdown with John Cena at WrestleMania 39. It would be an electric, awe-inspiring battle between two of the greatest entertainers of the modern era. However, the YouTube sensation would have to make a quick and miraculous recovery to be eligible to book a date with the sixteen-time World Champion.
Although he may return for The Show of Shows, the chances of Paul competing until 2023 are slim-to-none, and his fans will have to wait for some time.
#4 Former WWE Champion Rey Mysterio recently sidelined foot injury.
Rey Mysterio is one of the latest additions to WWE's long list of injuries. The last few months have been harsh, to say the least, for the masked luchador. Dominik Mysterio, his son, turned on him in September and joined The Judgment Day. After weeks of berating and humiliation, The Master of the 619 jumped ship to SmackDown.
The blue brand offered a promising start as he became the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Despite a resilient effort, Mysterio came up short against Gunther and couldn't claim the prestigious Title.
The downward spiral continued as he injured his ankle around the time of his IC Title match, forcing him to drop out of the SmackDown World Cup Tournament. However, Mysterio was backstage in a walking boot during the recent tapings but wasn't utilized.
Initial speculation does suggest that the former WWE Champion is dealing with a short-term injury. However, considering his age and the company's logistics, Mysterio could be out for the rest of the year, even if he fully recovers.
A surprise return during the Men's Royal Rumble match to confront Dominik and The Judgment Day would be an effective comeback and set the stage for the blow-off of their personal feud.
#3 Future WWE Hall of Famer Randy Orton's severe back injury.
In May 2022, The Usos defeated RK-Bro to unify the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championships. After the match, The Bloodline viciously assaulted Matt Riddle and Randy Orton, writing the latter off television.
In reality, Orton was dealing with some back issues that turned out to be much more severe than initially speculated. The Viper was expected to return for a blockbuster match against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam but couldn't recover in time.
WWE hoped he would be back in action by late 2022, but that doesn't seem to be the case. In September, backstage concerns over his condition and future grew, and the feeling was that Orton would be sidelined for the remainder of the year.
The Apex Predator is a priceless asset to WWE, and fans are itching for his return. Royal Rumble seems to be a prime location, but that all depends on Orton's recovery.
#2 Big E's career-threatening neck injury leaves him sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Big E suffered a career-threatening injury in March. During a tag-team match against The Brawling Brutes, E had an awkward landing off a botched suplex from Ridge Holland. The former WWE Champion fractured two cervical vertebrae.
Fears deepened when The Powerhouse of Positivity hinted that this serious injury could lead to retirement, but those concerns were debunked. In October, in an interview with Ryan Satin on Out of Character, E provided an update on his recovery:
"For right now, I’m cleared to live a normal life and I do live a normal life. But, I’m not cleared to be taking off and hitting suicide spears and be to be taking back bumps. The nature of what we do is very physical, it involves your neck and your spine, and I’d like to keep that as intact as possible."
Fans hoped to see him in time for the Men's Royal Rumble match, but that seems to be a bit too soon. Kofi Kingston also clarified recently that there isn't an immediate timeline for his New Day brethren's return.
The former NXT Champion is making a healthy recovery, but a surprise return in the foreseeable future is doubtful.
#1 Cody Rhodes' much-awaited return, not before 2023.
Cody Rhodes was sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle in early June. However, through sheer grit and determination, The American Nightmare put on a five-star classic in an amazing Hell in a Cell match with Seth Rollins.
The injury was pretty gruesome as a hush ran through the arena once Rhodes revealed his bruises. The following night on RAW, he was written off television when Rollins attacked him and exacerbated his wounds.
Speaking about a potential return date in a TMZ Sports interview, he suggested that there wasn't a definitive timeline.
“They haven’t given me [a timeline] because they know I’m stupid and I’d try to test it. I got in my mind where I want to be, and I think a lot of fans have in their mind where I’d like to be, and that’s hopefully where it’s at.”
Rhodes' passion for the wrestling business has no limits, as evidenced by his career-altering performance in Hell in a Cell. Therefore, someone like him could miraculously return tomorrow, but it seems that WWE will save him as a mega surprise entrant in the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble match.
