"It was the lowest I had ever been" – Randy Orton opens up about WWE absence

Randy Orton missed 18 months of in-ring action between May 2022 and November 2023. In a recent YouTube video, The Viper discussed the mental difficulties of dealing with a serious back injury.

Orton initially feared he would never wrestle again after doctors advised him against returning to the ring. The 14-time World Champion eventually received medical clearance and made his comeback at Survivor Series: WarGames 2023.

Appearing on Sheamus' Celtic Warrior Workouts, Orton gave an insight into what he was thinking during his time away from WWE:

"There was like six months where I thought that my wrestling career was completely over. Man, we were talking about mental state of mind and everything. It was the lowest I had ever been. That's who I am, you know? Wrestling, it's all I know. My back was so bad that I thought that was it for like six months." [From 4:42 – 5:17]

Orton's return was announced five days before Survivor Series: WarGames 2023. At the event, he teamed up with Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and Seth Rollins to defeat Drew McIntyre and The Judgment Day.

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When Randy Orton decided to return to WWE action

Four months after undergoing back surgery, Randy Orton realized an in-ring return was a realistic possibility.

The 44-year-old added that he started to feel stronger every week once his back had fully recovered:

"I found these doctors, they operated on me, I couldn't bend or twist for like almost three months," Orton said. "That was a complete pain in the a**, but once I started to heal and I felt my body getting stronger, every week, man, I started to feel better, and I was able to do a little more. Then, finally, four months out, I was able to start training again, and that's really when I started to feel like, you know what, I think I could maybe wrestle again one day." [From 5:20 – 5:54]

On November 2, Orton will face Kevin Owens at the WWE Crown Jewel premium live event in Saudi Arabia.

What would you like to see next from Randy Orton? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit Celtic Warrior Workouts and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.