Randy Orton Was Advised to "Stop Wrestling" Prior to WWE Return

Orton battled serious back issues for 18 months.

By Liam Crowley

Randy Orton is once again a full-time competitor on the WWE roster. The Viper returned to the ring this past November at WWE Survivor Series, aligning with Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, and Jey Uso to battle The Judgment Day inside War Games. That was Orton's first match since May 2022, as he took what was supposed to be just a couple of months off to heal up from some nagging back injuries. As it turned out, Orton's back was in a bad way, and he required spinal fusion surgery. Months turned into a year, and prior to his November 2023 return, there was reported concern that he would have to hang up his boots for good.

Randy Orton Opens Up About Facing Retirement

RANDY-ORTON-LOCKER-ROOM-LEADER
(Photo: WWE)

WWE's most tenured full-time superstar nearly had to call it quits.

Speaking to SportsKeeda, Randy Orton opened up about his lengthy back surgery recovery, revealing that doctors had advised him to step away from wrestling altogether.

"I had top neurologists telling me, 'You know what? You had a great career, you have a life after wrestling, and you want to be comfortable. You don't want to be in pain the rest of your life. We're gonna fix your back, but you're gonna have to stop wrestling,'" Orton said. "The first six months that I was out, I had that in the back of my head, and it was tough. It was mentally very challenging."

Orton has not looked back since his November 2023 comeback. He has competed in 23 matches since then and has yet to suffer a pinfall loss. He is currently surging in the King of the Ring tournament, having picked up wins over AJ Styles and Carmelo Hayes en route to the semifinals. Orton is set to face Tama Tonga this Friday on WWE SmackDown, and a victory in that match would send him to the tournament final against Gunther.

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This all gas, no brakes approach is not Orton trying to make the most out of his final years either. The multi-time world champion noted in a prior interview that he sees himself going for at least another half-decade.

"At 44, I would love to be able to go until my 50s. Maybe I wrestle until I'm 50 and call it," Orton said. "That's 30 years. 30 years with the same company, on top. It feels like now is the perfect environment for me to thrive."

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