Randy Orton's Doctors Have Told Him To Stop Wrestling
Ethan Hayes
Published Mar 28, 2026
Hard to believe, but we are quickly creeping up on the one-year anniversary of Randy Orton's last match in WWE. Orton and Matt Riddle lost to The Usos in the match that unified both sets of WWE's Tag Team Championships. Orton has been recovering from injuries ever since, and while many are hopeful we haven't seen the last of him in the ring, an update from the 14-time World Champion's Hall of Fame father has painted a worrying picture.
Doctors Tell Randy Orton Not To Wrestle
Bob Orton spoke with Bill Apter about a range of topics, broaching the status of the former's son. While Bob revealed Randy has been training, he also mentioned doctors have told his son he probably shouldn't wrestle again. “I don't think he needs to and I think the doctors have told him not to. But Randy is going to do what Randy is going to do, he always does,” Bob said when speaking about Randy's potential return from injury.
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Right before that, Bob said Randy is currently training and that if he feels like he wants to go back and wrestle again, then he will. While the decision may well be taken out of his hands if WWE won't clear him, that's not as cut-and-dry a decision as it is in other sports. Very few people are truly retired in wrestling, and even serious injuries can often be worked around.
Ignoring Advice
Take Edge, for example. The Rated R Superstar was gone for almost a decade, eventually healing enough that he was able to wrestle again. Stone Cold, who competed as recently as a year ago, is a great example of someone switching things up so his career could continue. An Owen Hart piledriver damaged the Hall of Famer's neck, but Austin simply worked around that limitation so he could continue wrestling, something he previously explained doctors didn't understand was an option
It would be a real shame if Orton's career does end without him being able to go out on his own terms. The Viper had become a fan favorite alongside Ridlel prior to needing some time off, and it feels like there are still things left for him to do should he come back. Turning on Riddle for one, and maybe even winning a couple more World Titles so he can equal John Cena and Ric Flair's tallies.
