Booker T on Randy Orton’s History with Injuries, His Own History With Being Told to Stop Wrestling

Speaking on his most recent episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T shared his thoughts on Randy Orton’s future in wrestling after his father, ‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton, recently stated that doctors had told the former WWE Champion he shouldn’t return to the ring. Orton has been out of action for the last year with a back injury and underwent back fusion surgery last year. You can check out some highlights below:

On Orton’s history with injuries: “Randy’s been off ever since dropping the tag team championships, RK-Bro dropping the tag team championships. I didn’t know what Randy was dealing with, but Randy has always been a guy that’s been very durable. He hadn’t been a guy that had been injury-prone or anything like that. He’s always dealt with little ailments like his shoulder. He always had a bad shoulder. He always had this little flex thing he would use. I would see him with that thing every day, you know, working with it, working his shoulder, back issues, you know, some minor stuff.”

On his own moments of doctors telling him to stop wrestling: “He’s dealing with an injury now because from what I was reading, the doctors are advising Randy Orton to not come back to in-ring competition. I don’t know how true that is, but if it is true, I know what Randy Orton is going through. A doctor advised me the same thing, not to return back to the ring because of neck issues from a full-time perspective. That’s why I totally took an exit from the ring when I did because the curvature of my neck could get to the point where it could start messing with the nerves, tingling in the hands, numbness, and then it could lead to paralysis and whatnot,, whatnot, whatnot. The doctor told me you could stop, and we don’t have to have surgery, or you could keep going if we do the surgery, so I chose, you know, hey, let me take a step back. So I do know what Randy may perhaps be going through at this point in time.

It’s not easy. It’s not easy to hear a doctor tell you that you got to stop doing something that you love doing. You’re going to say, ‘Man, let me go get a second opinion. I gotta get another.’ It’s one of those types of deals, I tell you. If this is the case, man, my heart goes out to Randy. Hopefully, it’s not. Hopefully, we’ll see Randy back inside the squared circle again, but when doctors start talking like that, sometimes you just got to listen. I understand exactly what that doctor is talking about because, after the Rumble, I had like a little tingling in my finger, so it just reminded me that the problem hadn’t gone away or anything, and if I was out there doing this on a regular basis, I could really be putting my life in a bad, bad situation.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Hall of Fame with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.