WWE's Randy Orton To Miss The Rest Of 2022?
The proposed Orton vs. Reigns SummerSlam match is very much up in the air at this stage.
Having not been seen on WWE programming since a vicious beatdown from the Bloodline on the 20 May episode of SmackDown, it could well be that Randy Orton won't be back in action until next year.
While this is far from set in stone at this stage, Fightful Select reports there is a genuine fear that Orton will miss the rest of 2022 due to ongoing back issues.
The belief is the Viper has been suffering with a back injury for a while now, and he actually had some work done on on his back ahead of the aforementioned SmackDown match that saw Orton and Riddle lose to the Usos in a Tag Team Unification contest. Of course, that bout was followed by a post-match attack that was done to write Randy off TV.
Fightful adds how Randal Keith's back issues have gotten worse to the point that he may have to undergo surgery. If that indeed happens, a WWE source told the outlet that Orton will miss the rest of the year. As such, the 14-time World Champion is not being factored into current creative plans, despite originally being scheduled to have a major role to play this summer - with it rumoured that it would be Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns at this year's SummerSlam.
Until any surgery takes place, there's still a chance that Orton will be back in action in some form or fashion later this year. For now, though, WWE is expected to move forward creatively without the future Hall of Famer in mind.