Randy Orton hasn’t wrestled since the May 20th, 2022 edition of Friday Night SmackDown when he and Matt Riddle lost their Raw Tag Team Titles to The Usos.
After the match, Orton and Riddle were beaten down by The Bloodline and the former World Champion hasn’t been seen on WWE television since. Details around Orton’s absence remained thin on the ground but it was reported that he was struggling with a back injury that had been progressively worse. The star underwent surgery in November amid very real fears that he may never wrestle again.
Everything then went quiet once more until Orton was pictured visiting Boone Centre Inc. (BCI) in St Peters, Missouri on February 5th. BCI is an organisation that provides employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In the photos, The Viper appeared to be in tremendous shape which sparked speculation that he could be gearing up toward a long-awaited return to the ring. However, it appears that talk of a comeback might have been a little premature.
Randy Orton Recovering From “Very Serious” Injuries
Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that there is no news on Orton as far as getting back in the ring is concerned. Although he did reiterate that the veteran’s injuries were very serious.
“We’ve heard no wrestling update on him recently but his back injuries were very serious and a few months ago there was concern about whether he’d be able to return, or at best, it would be a long time, which it has already been.”
The Usos have remained the Undisputed Tag Team Champions since defeating RKO-Bro but the current drama within The Bloodline is threatening to derail their record-breaking run. After Jey Uso walked out on the group at the Royal Rumble he was nowhere to be seen on the following episode of SmackDown, while it was revealed that no one had been able to contact him.
It has been announced that The Usos will be defending their SmackDown Tag Team Titles against Ricochet and Braun Strowman on February 10th, but will Jey Uso be there?