WWE: Another Good Sign for Randy Orton's Upcoming Return
Randy Orton still hasn't returned to WWE since May 2022, but recent rumors have indicated he's getting close to a return. "The Viper" was written off TV after he and Matt Riddle (RK-Bro) dropped the Raw Tag Team Championships to The Usos in a unification match, after which Orton would undergo fusion surgery to repair an injured back. Outside of a few posts from his wife, Orton has stayed off social media throughout his hiatus but other wrestlers have given some positive updates regarding his return. Kurt Angle was the latest to do so while talking about Orton on his The Kurt Angle Show podcast.
"(He's) doing good man," Angle said (h/t WrestlingNews.co). "He recovered from his back surgery. I think he's gonna come back pretty damn soon. He's doing much better, yes. He's coming back to life [regarding Orton posting more on social media]."
Before his injury, Orton claimed in interviews that he wanted to keep wrestling until he turns 50. He told The Ringer in January 2022, "I'm 41 (now 43). By the time I'm 50, I think I'm done. But I'm not like, I'll do auditions every once in a while, but I almost only do them because my wife says 'oh do them, because what if you don't? Then you'll wonder what if you did.' So I do auditions here and there, crossing my fingers that I don't get a callback because I love what I do. I don't want to stop. I don't want to have to stop, because of my body.
"So I've taken it upon myself to make sure I'm doing everything I can on the daily that physically I'm able to continue. But if it was up to me, and I knew physically it wouldn't be a problem, I'd say I'd wrestle until I'm 50 years old. And I would go out and have that last match when I'm 50 and be able to say I did it on my own terms. That's 9 years from now. But I don't see an end to my career any time soon. I'd like to continue to go," he added.
As for Riddle, he's currently in a feud with Gunther over the Intercontinental Championship. It's possible WWE will add a title match between the two to next weekend's Money in the Bank pay-per-view this week.