"I don't think he'll come back" - Respected legend reveals the tests WWE will put Randy Orton through for a return
Randy Orton's in-ring career looks to be in jeopardy based on the recent revelation from his dad. Dutch Mantell reacted to the trending story and, unfortunately, felt that The Viper might be unable to make a comeback.
The former WWE Champion has not wrestled for a year due to a severe back injury, with his last match happening on May 20th, 2022, against The Usos.
Bob Orton Jr. recently revealed to Sportskeeda's Bill Apter that the doctors had advised Randy to avoid the squared circle. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Dutch Mantell detailed the medical procedures required to get a medical clearance in WWE and didn't believe Randy Orton might be given the green light.
Mantell clarified that WWE doctors would make Orton undergo a complete physical to check his bone and body structure while taking multiple X-rays of his back. The former WWE manager said that the medical personnel would find the weak spot and, as much as he hated to admit it, didn't feel Orton would get cleared to wrestle:
"I don't think he'll come back. This is the reason because I think that WWE they are aware of all these injuries, and he is going to have to go through so many tests... They are going to study his body because if there is something there that is going to be weak, they are going to find it. He might not even be able to get cleared to come back." [48:26 - 49:30]
Randy Orton is what I call a true legend in WWE: Dutch Mantell wishes the veteran superstar has a final run
There have been a few instances in the past, most notably Daniel Bryan, where WWE has not allowed wrestlers with serious injuries to compete.
While the same can happen in Randy Orton's case, Dutch Mantell hoped to see the Apex Predator again perform for the WWE Universe. Mantell admired the 14-time world champion and felt he was one of the genuine legends from the current WWE roster.
Dutch had high praise for Randy Orton and would have him in his top ten greatest WWE superstars of all time.
"I'd think it would be a great addition to WWE if he did come back because here's a legend. Randy Orton is what I call a true legend in WWE. Well, when they bring him back, people still remember him recently," Dutch continued. "I don't know how long it has been since he's gone. But if they brought him back, he would mean something. Randy Orton is one of those guys; if you had a top ten in WWE, I think he'd be inside that top ten." [From 50:00 onwards]
Where does Orton rank amongst the highest-paid superstars in WWE? You can find out right here.
Please give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use quotes from this article.