WWE star Randy Orton may never wrestle again. Randy Orton has been a consistent presence on WWE television since making his debut on the main roster in 2002. Getting his start as part of the same Ohio Valley Wrestling class that included Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Batista, and Shelton Benjamin, Orton has since gone on to have a Hall of Fame-worthy career in WWE.
Randy Orton has become one of the most-decorated wrestlers in WWE history at just 43 years old. Orton has been a world champion in WWE a staggering 14 times, holding the WWE Championship 10 times and the World Heavyweight Championship four times. Orton has held various other titles in the company as well and has accomplished other feats such as winning Money in the Bank and winning the Royal Rumble multiple times. Orton has also competed in the main event of WrestleMania on more than one occasion, but even so, it seems he's not ready for his career to be over.
Orton's latest storyline saw him forming an unlikely tag team with Matt Riddle as RK-Bro. The oddball couple managed to win the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship twice, ultimately losing the championships to The Usos in what remains Orton's last televised match. Orton's been off WWE TV since 2022 due to a reported back injury, which it now seems may be severe enough that he will never wrestle again.
Orton's father Bob Orton Jr. spoke to Sportskeeda about his son's absence from WWE, confirming that while Randy Orton has been training for a return to the ring, it might not actually happen. During the interview, Bob Orton Jr. said he thinks that the doctors have advised Randy not to wrestle again. Assuming this is accurate, it would potentially mean that WWE may not medically-clear Orton, which would put him on the shelf indefinitely.
There have been multiple examples of wrestlers being forced into early retirement after failing to get the go-ahead from WWE's doctors. It happened with Edge, Daniel Bryan, and Paige in the past, though all three have since returned to wrestling. In fact, both Edge and Daniel Bryan have competed in a WrestleMania main event after their initial retirements, and Paige is currently competing in rival promotion AEW as Saraya. So there is some hope that even if Orton has to take an extended absence that maybe he could return one day down the road.
While it would be heartbreaking for Randy Orton to have to retire from WWE due to a medical situation and not on his own terms, there's no denying that he's had one of the most successful careers in the history of the company.