Former United States Champion to announce shock retirement on WWE SmackDown? Exploring potential swerve

John Cena's WWE retirement tour is in full swing, but it seems that he may not be the only star who intends to retire in 2025. Following his loss to Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, speculation has begun to swirl surrounding Randy Orton's future.

There are a number of factors that could work towards the former WWE Champion deciding to retire following the loss, including his ongoing back injury. The veteran underwent spinal fusion surgery back in 2022, and it seems that he has been able to return to the ring and has found a new lease on life following the procedure.

That being said, his back was targeted throughout the match, and it appeared as though he could have re-injured it.

Not only did Orton face Cody, but he also recently lost to John Cena and has seemingly crossed off several of his dream matches in recent months. The Viper doesn't have a story heading into SummerSlam next month, which has led to the speculation that retirement could be on the horizon.

This is purely speculation, and it's entirely possible the 14-time world champion was just selling the back injury, and his direction for SummerSlam will be made clear in the coming weeks.

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Randy Orton may not want a huge WWE farewell

Randy Orton is aware that John Cena is part of a massive farewell tour at present, which means that he could take a leaf out of the book of Manchester United legend Paul Scholes and opt to quietly retire in the shadow of Cena instead.

Scholes famously hung up his boots in the same season as legendary boss Alex Ferguson back in 2013, which allowed him to quietly walk away from the sport.

Orton has a family and many options outside of the ring now, so it could be the perfect time for him to walk away. Even if he doesn't retire or permanently leave the industry, he could take an extended break away from WWE to assess what he has left to achieve in the ring.