Randy Orton has been out of action for almost a year, but there have been small hints that his absence could soon be over.
The Viper 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.
This was followed by a report in November that revealed he had undergone back surgery, amid very real fears that his career could be over.
Interestingly it has now been reported by Mike Johnson, via PWInsider Elite, that there have been “some rumblings” about Orton within WWE in the last week. This is especially notable as his name hasn’t been brought up for “some time.”
This comes after a bootmaker revealed in February that he had been contacted by Orton about his return. The star has also been pictured looking in incredible shape in recent weeks.
Randy Orton’s Partner Matt Riddle Also Facing Uncertain Future
With Orton out of action, his RK-Bro partner Matt Riddle continued to be heavily featured on Monday Night Raw, at least initially. Riddle hasn’t been featured since December 5th, 2022.
The star was attacked by Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline and left the ringside area on a stretcher. Following Riddle’s exit it was reported that he had been suspended by WWE after failing a second drug test, and had been sent to rehab. This was initially disputed by someone close to the star and there has still been no official comment from WWE or the man himself.
After the breakdown of his marriage, it was then reported that Riddle was in a relationship with adult film star Jordan Maxx, although she claimed that he had cheated on her with another woman to do drugs before going to rehab. The “other woman” was another adult star named Misha Montana.
It was recently noted that if Riddle was indeed suspended, that suspension would now be over.