Randy Orton has revealed all in a new interview.
On November 25, Randy Orton made his triumphant return to WWE as part of Cody Rhodes’ War Games team. It marked his return from 18 months on the sidelines while dealing with a major back injury, and put to bed fears that his health may have had to force him into retirement.
Now, in a new interview with Sports Illustrated, Randy Orton has openly discussed what it was like to battle back from his injury to return at Survivor Series, as well as touching on his future plans while working under Triple H and Nick Khan.
To open, he discussed his recent War Games return and how his inclusion was initially supposed to be kept as a surprise, with WWE choosing to announce him on the Raw prior to the event to stop people thinking that CM Punk would be the final man for the team.
“I was supposed to be a surprise in WarGames at Survivor Series. All these CM Punk rumors started a month prior, and everyone thought–since we were in Chicago for Survivor Series–that CM Punk would be the surprise. So they had Cody a week before WarGames say that he had a friend–me–that was going to come. The surprise was spoiled all because Punk was rumored to be there, and WWE didn’t want people to be pissed.”
-Randy Orton
Discussing what it was like to learn that Punk’s return wasn’t just internet rumour and that the Chicagoan would actually be at Survivor Series, Orton said that he genuinely wondered if Triple H was joking when he told The Viper that he wouldn’t be the only one making a comeback that night.
“The day of Survivor Series, I’m about to get my boots on, I’m feeling the nerves, it had been a year-and-a-half. “Triple H is like, ‘Hey Randy, I’ve got to talk to you for a second.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, what’s up, man?’ So he told me a couple things. And then he went, ‘One more thing–Punk’s returning tonight.’ I thought he was f—— with me. I said, ‘You’re joking,’ and he was like, ‘No, I’m not. This is something that just happened in the last few days, yada yada yada.’”
-Randy Orton
Many wondered whether Orton may have been upset that CM Punk’s long awaited WWE return was happening on the same night as his own, but Randy went on to express how happy he was that both returns were executed well and that he didn’t let anything bother him the way he perhaps would’ve in the past.
“I was so excited for this surprise return. That’s never really been the case. They’ve always kind of stooged off the fact I was returning; they wanted those views. So I’d never had that surprise return. “I could have been really pissed, and old Randy would have been pissed. It was a defining moment for me. I went out there, we had a great WarGames match, everybody was excited that I returned, everybody was excited that Punk returned, and neither return stepped on each other. It was a testament to how much I’d grown. It would have been an issue only if I made it one, so I was proud of the way I handled it.”
-Randy Orton
Prior to having to go and get surgery, Orton was part of an extremely popular tag team with Matt Riddle, and Randy went on to describe how his condition worsened during their run together. He admitted that The Original Bro he had helped him as much as possible as a partner but his pain was too much and he was hopeful that a cortisone shot would do the heavy lifting to correct the issue.
“Before I left [in May of 2022], I’d got to the point where [Matt] Riddle had done everything he could for me as a tag partner. I could barely stand for a long amount of time. Taking my kids trick-or-treating that Halloween, I would have to sit in between the houses because I just couldn’t be on my feet that long. The symptoms were just immensely painful. “I got an MRI, the symptoms got worse, but I staved off any cortisone shots. I’d needed one for about five years, but I didn’t want to get one–once you go down that road, it’s a slippery slope. So I was going to get a cortisone shot, and I was hopeful that it would help.”
-Randy Orton
However, it quickly became clear that the shot wouldn’t be enough, and Orton said that the pain got overwhelming to the point that doctors were telling him to consider ending his legendary career. That was, until he got into contact with doctor Adam Kanter.
“My lower spine was so far gone that no shot was going to help. No ablation procedure where they burn the nerve for another six months pain-free, none of that was going to work. I had stenosis, degeneration all over my lower spine, and a slipping disc–every time I extended my spine, it would slip and press on those nerves. I couldn’t sit and take a sh– without pain shooting down my legs or my feet going numb. I couldn’t stand. There were times when I’d move and end up on the floor, and I’m working with top-of-their-class neurosurgeons, and they’re telling me, ‘You’ve had a great career. Maybe it’s time to hang up the boots. You’ve got to think of quality of life after your career.’ That’s always been a priority for me, but hearing all this, after thinking I was going to get an epidural cortisone shot and I’d be fine, it was tough. I’ll be honest–I broke into tears. Those next few months were really difficult. I had a few doctors I was speaking with, and one doctor, Adam Kanter, he was moving from Pittsburgh to California. Man, I’m glad I waited. I’m glad I saw him. Him and two other doctors worked on me, and they didn’t cut through any muscle. That would have rendered me a non-athlete for the rest of my life because the muscle wouldn’t have healed quite the same.”
-Randy Orton
So, Orton was able to make his WWE return, and fans immediately noticed how much bigger The Apex Predator looked compared to when they last saw him on their screens. To comment on this, Randy stated that he feels better now that he ever has before and can now do things in the gym he hadn’t been able to do since his 20s thanks to his surgery and a change in diet.
“I had the surgery, things were going well, and I changed my diet–and I started packing on a few pounds. About six months post-surgery, I was able to do things in the gym that I hadn’t been able to do my entire 30s. I was able to start working on my glutes and my hamstrings and my lower back, and I had no pain. Man, I went from 240 pounds to 280. I’m 275 right now, and I feel f—— fantastic. I feel like I was meant to be this weight my whole life, but my frame wasn’t able to sustain it until this fusion. I feel like I’m right smack dab in the middle of my prime. My back started to go in my late 20s. It wasn’t one powerbomb through a table, it was a slow decline that accumulated over time. Being able to do what I love, and not take a minute of it for granted, that’s my priority. And I want to do it as long as I can.”
-Randy Orton
But, you can’t talk WWE over the last couple of weeks without touching on the horrifying allegations made against Vince McMahon by Janel Grant. On this, Randy said that he owes a lot to Vince, but stated that the news hurts his heart.
“I’ve got to say this–I wouldn’t be where I am without Vince McMahon taking a chance on me a handful of times. I would not be where I am today without Vince McMahon. But, f—, I’m reading this sh–. What you’ve seen and read, I’ve seen and read. As far as commenting on that, it f—— hurts my heart. It hurts my heart.”
-Randy Orton
Orton left WWE to receive medical attention in May of 2022, and a lot has changed in the company since that time, particularly with Triple H now heading up the creative side of things. To give his thoughts on this, Randy expressed his sheer excitement at working under Paul Levesque and Nick Khan, particularly given how long Triple H has worked with him before.
“So much happened while I was out. When I left, the old guard was still doing its thing. Vince was still around. TV’s were getting rewritten over and over again. The writers were being held up until all hours in the morning. And all that changed. I am excited to work for WWE. Nick Khan is amazing. Triple H being in charge of creative is amazing. I’ve had a relationship with him for over 20 years. I went to his wedding back in ‘03. We’ve been at odds before when I was a f— up when I was young, and I won him back. He’s seen me go from an adolescent assh— prick who didn’t know what I was doing–I was an insecure punk, that’s what I was. I’m the oldest sibling in my family, but he’s like an older brother to me in many ways. He’s always been there and had the best of advice.”
-Randy Orton
To expand on the differences in WWE under Triple H’s regime, Orton said that a lot of his accrued wear and tear is as a result of not being allowed to relax his schedule in the past, something that isn’t a problem anymore. He stated that Levesque and Khan are keen to work with talent to keep them happy and healthy.
“Throughout the course of my career when my back was shot to sh–, there were many times I went to the powers-that-be and said I’d have a longer career if I was off some of these shows so my back could heal up. Instead of 20 days overseas in Europe, I’d say, let me do just 10–or miss a TV once a quarter. I was denied at every turn. ‘I’m sorry Randy, I need you at these shows.’ ‘Sorry, Randy. Mother Nature gets us all.’ Since I’ve been back, post-spinal fusion, and I’m talking like Chicago Survivor Series, Triple H and Nick Khan reassured me to come to them if I needed anything and they’d take care of it. They’ve already proven they weren’t full of sh– when they said that. If something is bugging me and I don’t want to put my body through a physical toll of a match, I can still make the TV, cut a promo, and hit an RKO or two. That is going to enable me to do this for a long time. I’m very happy with the changes, and I’m very happy that Nick Khan, Triple H, Bruce Prichard and all those guys are proving they mean what they say. The company changed, and they care about the talent. I think everybody feels the same way.”
-Randy Orton
To bring it to the modern day, Orton looked ahead to this Saturday’s Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event, where he is one win away from earning a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity. He emphasised his desire to win in Australia and claim the title, while also throwing out the idea of possibly wrestling John Cena at WrestleMania. Most importantly, Orton wants to make sure he isn’t taking anything for granted in his upcoming run.
“I’d love to win on Saturday and then win that championship another time. I’d love to wrestle John Cena at WrestleMania. But those aren’t my biggest goals. My goal is to never take one second of this for granted. That’s my number-one priority. I’m blessed, and I don’t take that for granted. I’m still maturing, I’m still getting my confidence back, and I feel like the best is still yet to come.”
Randy Orton is a legend of the game, and there can be no doubting his longevity and commitment to competing in the ring. As mentioned, he is set to compete inside the Elimination Chamber this Saturday in Perth to potentially go on to challenge Seth Rollins for Raw’s top title at WrestleMania. Regardless, it seems like The Viper isn’t slowing down yet, and has aspirations to be wrestling at the highest level for years to come.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Randy Orton’s recent return and future plans as soon as we hear more.
