Why Randy Orton Hasn't Been On WWE Television, Explained
Daniel Foster
Published Mar 27, 2026
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Fans have been missing Randy Orton for a while now. The Viper hasn't appeared in WWE since May 2022, after a beatdown from The Bloodline on Friday Night SmackDown. Those who don't keep up with news and rumors online may not know the reason for Orton’s prolonged absence. RKBro were the Raw Tag Team Champions last year, which they won on an episode of Raw. Then he and Riddle got into a feud with The Usos, which ended with RKBro losing their titles and then getting brutally beaten post-match. Orton hasn't been seen in WWE since, and fans are looking forward to his return.
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The Usos Defeated RKBro To Unify The Tag Team Titles
At WrestleMania 38, Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar and unified the WWE and Universal Championship. On the following SmackDown, Reigns asked The Usos to go after RKBro's Raw Tag Team Titles and bring those to The Bloodline. On Raw, Jimmy, and Jey Uso challenged Orton and Riddle, and they accepted. Their match to unify the tag titles was booked for WrestleMania Backlash. But some time later, WWE changed the matchup and turned it into a six-man tag team match between The Bloodline and RKBro and Drew McIntyre.
This happened because, during a contract signing segment for their match, The Usos and RKBro engaged in a brawl and Reigns interfered to turn the tides in Usos' favor. He even ripped the contract and shoved it into Riddle's mouth. Then McIntyre made his entrance to even the odds to take out The Bloodline. At the pay-per-view, The Bloodline won the match after Reigns pinned Riddle. Following WrestleMania Backlash, RKBro showed up on SmackDown and challenged The Usos for their title belts. WWE booked their match for the next SmackDown. Most fans knew that The Usos were going to unify the tag team titles, and WWE even spoiled the results on their WWE UK Facebook page. The Usos won the match after getting help from Roman Reigns.
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Randy Orton Got Injured During The Match With The Usos
Following their victory, The Usos and Reigns started beating both Riddle and Orton. Jey and Jimmy also superkicked Randy, and Reigns locked the guillotine on both members of RKBro. WWE later provided kayfabe updates on both wrestlers' health and said they were going under medical evaluation. There were rumors that both Riddle and Orton were facing The Tribal Chief at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam respectively. But the matches didn't take place, despite Reigns being advertised for Money in the Bank where Riddle participated in the ladder match for the briefcase.
Orton got injured during RKBro's matchagainst The Usos so WWE was forced to alter their SummerSlam plans as well. They expected him to return sooner, but it turned out that his back was in a worse condition than previously thought. Dave Meltzer said that there was "concern regarding Orton’s back injury and its severity." In November, he underwent a lower back fusion surgery, and there were doubts over his wrestling future as well. Recently, however, Meltzer said that Orton will be back on WWE programming soon. "All the indications are that he's on his way back, which is also good news because at the end of last year, there were definitely people worried about him." (h/t Sportskeeda)
Randy Orton Might Be Returning To WWE Soon
There's also a report that Orton could make his surprising return at WrestleMania 39. It's not known what he will do at the Shows of Shows, but he could start a new storyline or just participate in a backstage segment. If Orton hadn't gotten injured last year, WWE would not have unified the tag team titles. Meltzer said the only reason Triple H made this call was that Orton was going to be out due to his injury. Back injuries are no joke, and this one "almost ended" Orton's career.
Some time ago, Orton also contacted Jose G. Sanz for a pair of wrestling boots. Jose has worked with wrestlers like Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes as well. WrestleMania is a few days away, and many fans will be hoping to see Orton on the premium live event or the Raw after WrestleMania. He was previously expected to make a comeback during the Royal Rumble event.
