Internal Status of Randy Orton’s WWE Contract Situation After 18-Month Absence

Randy Orton made his return to WWE at Survivor Series, but there are a lot of questions about his future after his current contract ends. It appears that The Viper will be with WWE for a while.

The world of pro wrestling is full of intriguing contract situation. We previously noted that Alexa Bliss, and Chris Jericho as well. It’s also likely that Ricochet will get a big money deal in 2024. Now, The Viper is getting the conversation started.

Sean Sapp noted behind Fightful’s paywall that WWE is pretty confident that Randy Orton will ink a new deal when his current one expires. That being said, it wasn’t noted that he has signed that new deal.

Randy Orton had been out of action for a year and a half before his return to the ring at WWE Survivor Series, but that may cause him to be around in WWE even longer.

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Orton publicly teased free agency for the first time in 2019, before signing a new five-year contract with WWE at a time when the company mass-signed a ton of talent to long-term deals. However, one WWE higher up said that they “would be surprised,” if WWE did not end up extending his current deal.

In regards to Randy Orton’s contractual status, it was initially set to extend until at least the Fall of 2024, leaving him with approximately a year remaining on his deal. However, following his absence from WWE for nearly 18 months, sources within the company have suggested the potential addition of “injury time” to Orton’s contract, which could potentially keep him with WWE until 2026. While some higher-ups anticipate this outcome, it remains a possibility, and its confirmation is pending.

It’s worth noting that there have been instances where injured WWE talent did not have their contracts extended due to their involvement in other roles or projects. However, in Orton’s case, it does not appear to be the same situation, although further evaluation is required to determine the final decision.

We will have to see how Randy Orton is booked during this WWE return run. Only time will tell where The Viper ends up on SmackDown, but he has his eye on Roman Reigns at this point.

Keep checking back with us here at Ringside News for more on this story and so many more. You never know what will happen next, but we will be here with all the updates you need!

What’s your take on Randy Orton’s return to WWE so far? Let us know what you think about this in the comments section!