Randy Orton is perhaps one of the few veterans still appearing regularly on WWE TV. Randy Orton’s return to the ring was marred by a beat down at the hands of Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Randy was returning from a shoulder injury that had kept him out of action for months. However, at the biggest event of the summer, Randy faced “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar and things didn’t go down too well for him. He needed 10 staples to close a wound that was inflicted by Lesnar’s elbows.
This injury was followed by an outcry from the WWE Universe. The controversial decision to allow Orton to bleed the hard way shocked many. There were also rumors of concussions and a subsequent cover-up. Since then, Orton hasn’t competed in the ring. Given the flak WWE has drawn in the past for concussions to their workers, a deliberate decision risking a concussion might have been cataclysmic for the company.
Orton was withdrawn from competing in Backlash but there was no apparent reason for it. WWE did a kayfabe a leg injury angle before the match with Bray Wyatt having to face Kane as a replacement. There were reports of Orton clearing the initial concussion tests but had failed the final Impact test for concussion.
This past Saturday, Randy Orton returned to in-ring action in his home state of Missouri. At Saturday’s house show in Springfield, Missouri Orton competed in a singles match against Bray Wyatt. Randy beat Bray Wyatt with the RKO.
This was his first singles match since his bloodbath of a match with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam where he suffered a concussion. On Saturday night, he took a number of bumps on the mat but he was more cautious than usual, likely as a precaution. Orton wrestled at a house show last Monday night too but did not take any bumps, other than hitting the RKO.
It was a similar situation at SmackDown Live! pay per view Backlash when he limped up to the ring towards the end of the match and caught Bray Wyatt in an RKO resulting in Wyatt losing the match.
It may seem like Orton has been cleared to compete in the ring. Orton may have been cleared for SmackDown Live last Tuesday but looks like WWE are being very cautious with his situation.
Orton is also scheduled to face Lesnar at a house show in Illinois on 24 September, the night before WWE Clash of Champions.
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