Randy Orton details the agony he was in ahead of WWE return; couldn't even sit down
Randy Orton returned to WWE at Survivor Series and has been on a roll ever since, kicking off one of the most anticipated pro wrestling comebacks in recent memory.
The Viper had been on the shelf with a serious back injury since May 2022, which he had spinal fusion surgery for. While away, it was reported that doctors warned the 43-year-old that he should never wrestle again. There was also speculation within WWE that his Hall of Fame-worthy career may have been over, but thankfully, he was able to return.
Orton recently spoke with Logan Paul on his IMPAULSIVE podcast and detailed just how bad his health was. The current WWE United States Champion complimented the two-time Royal Rumble winner on how he looks to be in great shape right now, and Orton responded.
"I changed a lot of stuff off these last 18 months. I really needed the time. I had a lot of ailments. I couldn't stand for more than a couple minutes without having pain shoot down my legs. When I would sit, I had a disc slipping every time I would bend. On a plane, sitting here, my feet would go numb and I had pain shooting down my legs. It really sucked. It was really hard."
The Viper also praised his former RK-Bro partner, Matt Riddle, for helping him through his matches in the months leading up to his hiatus.
"That last year, before I had to leave because of the back, I was in a tag team with former WWE superstar Matt Riddle. I have to give him props because that year we tagged together, I was not able to be in the ring unless I was in there with someone like him. He was able to take the brunt of the physicality. He tagged me in, I come in, do my s**t. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have made it that far," Randy Orton said. [H/T to Fightful]
The Apex Predator returned to SmackDown on Friday's show after being invited by General Manager Nick Aldis. He then signed with the blue brand as an exclusive member of the roster.
Randy Orton has a new lease on his WWE career
Since returning at Survivor Series to help his team win the WarGames match, Randy Orton has wrestled just once. He defeated Dominik Mysterio on RAW before fighting off Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa on SmackDown.
Speaking to Logan Paul on IMPAULSIVE, the future WWE Hall of Famer confirmed that he was faced with possibly never wrestling again, but now he has a second lease on his career and feels much better.
"I'm like the only guy that's never left and come back, other than John Cena. I'm going to be here for the rest...this is me. I'm not moving on to Hollywood. I love what I do. I just had 18 months off recovering from spinal fusion. I was kind of faced with the fact that I might not be able to do this again. It's almost like I got a second lease on my career here. I'm not going to take a day for granted. Not a second in that ring for granted. Even now, more so than the matches you would have seen a year ago when you first started or a couple years ago, I'm feeling even more in my element now," Randy Orton said.
Randy Orton is set to feud with The Bloodline now that he's a full-time SmackDown Superstar. After returning, he announced that he came back to get revenge on the top WWE faction.
What do you think of Randy Orton being on SmackDown full-time? Will Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns happen soon? Sound off in the comments below!