[Susan Foreman]

"WWE is reportedly concerned about Randy Orton’s health and future.

Orton last wrestled on the May 20th SmackDown, where he and Matt Riddle came up short against current Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos in the match to unify the titles. There was a post-match angle that saw The Bloodline beat down RK-Bro at ringside. Orton has not been seen since then, and WWE mentioned on TV how he’s dealt with a back injury. It was then reported in mid-June how WWE officials were concerned that Orton might need surgery, which would likely have him out of the ring for the rest of 2022

In an update, a new report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that there is a lot of concern over Orton’s back injury, and the severity of the injury

Randy Orton has been synonymous with his RKO finisher for nearly two decades. But, as the 14-time world champion admitted in an interview with FOX 2 Now in St Louis while promoting the 2022 Royal Rumble, the move is starting to take a physical toll on his body. "The Viper" explained, "I've been doing it for a very long time and I kind of wish I could go back in time and create a finishing move that didn't entail me jumping up as high as I can and landing on my back. After doing that a couple of thousand times over the last few decades, I'm starting to feel it.""