Former WWE Superstar Randy Orton has provided a significant update on the future of his wrestling career. In 2022, Randy Orton suffered a back injury and was out of action for 18 months. Orton returned in November of last year at Survivor Series: WarGames in 2023 in Chicago. He came out as the final member of Team Cody Rhodes against Judgment Day.
In an interview with Adam’s Apple, Randy Orton discussed how his perspective on his wrestling career has evolved. He mentioned that two years ago, he would have thought he was nearing the end due to his spinal fusion surgery.
He stated, “If you would have asked me two years ago, I would have thought I was close to the end because I had spinal fusion about a year and a half ago. That changed the game. I had been in pain through my entire 30’s and was hurting. I was begging for time off when I was 35. I think Vince’s [Vince McMahon] quote to me was, ‘Mother nature gets us all.’ That’s hard to hear when you’re 35 and your back hurts, and you’re busting your ass for this company. There have been some changes. Now, I think instead of pushing the guys and running their dicks into the ground until they fall apart, there is a great atmosphere of ‘how can we make this guy last?’
WWE Superstar Randy Orton plans to wrestle full-time until 50
Randy Orton recently disclosed his intention to continue wrestling until he reaches 50 years of age, despite being 44 years old and having undergone major back surgery. Orton made a return to WWE a few months ago. During the same interview with Adam’s Apple, Randy Orton expressed his satisfaction with his current state post-surgery. He also highlighted his desire to maintain a full-time schedule.
He stated, “I’m a full-time guy. I don’t want to do the old Undertaker or Shawn Michaels schedule, which they needed to do, understandably, but wrestling at WrestleMania, take the summer off; maybe you’ll see them at SummerSlam. I want to be on the road every week. I want to make all the TVs; I want to be on all the PLEs. At 44, I would love to be able to go until my 50’s. Maybe I wrestle until I’m 50 and call it. That’s 30 years. Thirty years with the same company, on top. It feels like now is the perfect environment for me to thrive.”
He continued, “If I need to take a week off because I am getting up there, I get it. There have been times since I’ve been back where I was like, ‘Hey Hunter, can I take a week to recover so I can be 100% for the following week?’ ‘Sure, as long as you communicate that to me, no problem.’ Having that in my back pocket is real peace of mind knowing that if I need a week, they’ll give it to me.”
Since his return to wrestling, Orton has portrayed his back injury on many occasions, causing concern among fans. However, as a veteran, Orton knows how to evoke emotions from the fans.
