Randy Orton’s Wrestling Future Was in Doubt After Back Fusion Surgery

WWE Survivor Series will see Randy Orton’s return to the ring for WarGames. That could be a brutal contest for The Viper after over a year out of the ring due to a back issue. Some were actually concerned that he may never wrestle again, including Kurt Angle.

Randy Orton’s last match took place when he and Matt Riddle lost the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship to Jimmy and Jey Uso, marking the culmination of a Tag Team Championship unification bout on the May 20th, 2022 episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown. Orton had been absent from in-ring action since undergoing back fusion surgery. His return to the ring is imminent as he’s set to join Cody Rhodes’ team for WarGames at WWE Survivor Series 2023.

During a recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show podcast, Angle discussed his feelings about his friend’s impending return. Angle mentioned that he stayed in contact with Randy throughout his recovery process. At one point, Orton was unsure if his back would fully recover, casting doubt on his ability to return to professional wrestling.

“It’s about time. I’m just glad he did [return] because I was communicating with him for quite some time when he was out with the injury because Kim [Orton] and Giovanna [Angle] are best friends. He was telling me, ‘Hey, man, it’s not looking good. I don’t know how my back is going to heal if my back’s going to heal.’ so he was a little worried about it for a while, and eventually it started to heal up, and now I think he’s okay, but it was pretty serious for some time.“

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“They didn’t know [if Orton would return]. Randy, he’s young, too. I mean he’s in his 40s, but he’s still pretty young. [Compared to] me and other guys that are wrestling like Sting in his 60s and Chris Jericho in his 50s. So yeah, he’s still young. He still has a good six or seven years if he stays healthy.”

Randy Orton participated in his first Survivor Series two decades ago, when he led Eric Bischoff’s team to victory against Stone Cold Steve Austin’s team. In the early stages of his career, Orton often stood as the last competitor, showcasing his knack for survival. His recent WWE return is no different.

Randy Orton’s return to the ring isn’t because he needs to, either. The Viper has made a ton of money in his career, but he obviously wants to make that return to the ring, a decision he may expand upon in due time.

What’s your take on Randy Orton making a return to the ring for WarGames? Let us know what you think about it in the comments section!