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Randy Orton has been out of action since The Bloodline took him out a couple of months ago. Orton and his partner Matt Riddle lost the RAW tag team championships to The Usos and were then brutalized by Reigns and The Usos. This was a way to write off Orton from TV due to his back issues. The severity of his back issues has reportedly started causing concern.
Before his sabbatical, Orton and Riddle dominated as the RAW tag team champions. RK-Bro then lost the titles to The Usos in a unification match in May 2022. It was initially reported that Orton had minor back problems, but it was later stated that these problems had become more serious.
As per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is a lot of concern over the severity of Orton's injury. Initially, it was speculated that the former WWE Champion will be ready to return by the Royal Rumble next year. However, there is no certainty as of now.
''There is a lot of concern regarding Orton’s back injury and its severity,'' said Meltzer.
Will Randy Orton return at Royal Rumble?
Reports initially indicated that The Viper would return at Royal Rumble next year. Other big names like Cody Rhodes and Big E are also expected to return around the same time. Speaking to SportsKeeda's Bill Apter, here's what Randy's father Bob Orton had to say about his possible return:
"He's got a little bit of a back problem. I think he'll take care of everything. You know with rehab and everything. After 20, you know, more than 20 years, wear and tear on the body is just, you know, too much."
Randy Orton was initially supposed to face Roman Reigns at SummerSlam this year. Due to his injury, he wasn't able to compete and WWE had to change their plans. Brock Lesnar returned to face Reigns in a Last Man Standing match at The Biggest Party of the Summer instead.
