Randy Orton expected to be out of WWE action for “an extended period of time”

Randy Orton has been out of action since the May 20th 2022 edition of WWE Smackdown when him and Matt Riddle dropped the RAW tag team titles to The Usos. Orton was spotted in Birmingham, Alabama earlier this month and a photo was posted of him by his wife.

According to Fightful Select, Orton “required a fusion in his lower back that would keep him out of action for an extended period of time.” The surgery has already taken place and Fightful noted that “there were some in WWE that told us they’d be fortunate to have him back after such a long career and the significance of the injury.”

While Orton initially insisted that he would return around the time of his injury, there is currently no timetable for his return and thus there are no creative plans. Fightful added that Orton’s contract expires in 2024 but there’s no word regarding WWE possibly extending or freezing the contract due to his injury.