What is happening to Randy Orton? Injury, return, and more analysed

Randy Orton's WWE return is one that many fans are anticipating. The Viper has been sidelined with an injury for almost a year now. Unfortunately, it looks like it might take a while before the superstar is back in action.

The Apex Predator was last seen in WWE during a May 20, 2022, SmackDown episode. During the episode, he and Matt Riddle unsuccessfully defended the RAW Tag Team Championship against The Usos. Following the bout, RK-Bro was on the receiving end of an attack by The Bloodline. Days later, it was announced that Randy sustained a legitimate back injury.

Ahead of this WrestleMania 39, many fans expected to see Randy Orton return after multiple reports hinted at his return. After he didn't show up for the Show of Shows, many thought it would be on RAW after 'Mania episode, but he still didn't show up.

The latest report regarding Randy's injury came from Fightful Select, which states that there are no plans for The Viper, meaning a return may not be in the near future. A similar report also came from Dave Meltzer prior, stating that the superstar was nowhere close to returning.

Although the 14-time World Champion has already undergone successful surgery for his injury, it looks like it will be a while before he can safely return to the ring.

Randy Orton may already have a big challenge when he returns to WWE

The 43-year-old is one of the longest-active superstars in the Stamford-based promotion, yet he never lost his appeal to the fans. It's no surprise that he was reportedly set for a title match against Roman Reigns prior to his injury.

It was reported that Orton was slated to face Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at last year's SummerSlam, but Brock Lesnar took his spot instead. Although The Viper has been sidelined for almost a year, WCW legend Disco Inferno believes he is still a powerful opponent for Roman.

"I'll be honest. I don't know if Cody, everybody was assuming Cody was going to beat Roman. He might not be the guy to beat Roman! I would like to see how hot Randy Orton is when he comes back because Randy is a guy who can beat Roman and get a huge pop,"

For now, it looks like fans will just have to wait and see when Randy Orton makes his long-awaited return.