Randy Orton, one of WWE’s most iconic superstars, recently opened up about his career-threatening back injury and credited his partnership with Matt Riddle for extending his wrestling career. Orton’s revelation came during his appearance on the Impaulsive podcast, hosted by WWE United States Champion Logan Paul.
After a 20-year career in WWE, the wear and tear caught up to Orton in 2022, leading to him being sidelined for over a year-and-a-half and undergoing double fusion back surgery. The pain Orton experienced on a daily basis was excruciating, making it difficult for him to stand or sit for extended periods. Orton shared his struggles, saying, “I mean, I couldn’t stand for more than a couple of minutes without having pain shoot down my legs. When I would sit, I had a disc that was slipping every time I would bend. So, you know, on a plane, sitting here, my feet would go numb, and I’d have pain shooting down my legs.”
During his time in the ring before his injury, Orton formed a tag team with Matt Riddle, known as RK-Bro. Orton credited Riddle for shouldering the physicality of their matches, allowing him to continue wrestling. Orton expressed his gratitude, saying, “That last year before I had to leave because of the back, I was in a tag team with former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle, and I got to give him props because that year we tagged together, I was not able to be in that ring unless I was in there with someone like him because he was able to take the brunt of the physicality. He’d tag me at the end, I’d come in, I’d do my shit, and if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have made it that far.”
At 43 years old, Orton is determined to continue wrestling for as long as he can. He considers himself fortunate and acknowledges his doctors for their role in his recovery. While Orton aims to achieve more accomplishments before retiring, he also enjoys mentoring the new generation of wrestlers and giving back to the business.
During his conversation with Logan Paul, Orton also reflected on a period in his career when his attitude toward others was less than professional. While working on a documentary with A&E, Orton saw footage of his past behavior, which surprised him. He admitted, “I’ve seen some of this footage from 10, 15 years ago, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ Like, that’s horrible. But that’s just kind of who I was.”
Aside from discussing his injury and personal growth, Orton also shared his thoughts on parenting in the age of technology, the development of his famous finishing move, the RKO, and its enduring popularity. The full episode of Randy Orton’s interview on Impaulsive can be found here.
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