Randy Orton Recalls His Devastating Back Injury, How Back Fusion Put a New Lease on His Career

– During a recent interview with The Independent ahead of WWE Bash in Berlin, WWE Superstar Randy Orton discussed the back injury that kept him out of action for about a year-and-a-half. Below are some highlights:

Randy Orton on his back injury: “[Being] told I’d never wrestle again, that kind of sent me into a tailspin. It was very depressing being at home and not knowing what my future held. It took a long time for me to get out of that funk. I thought my career was over after the surgery. It was tough to recoup from that, to spiritually recover.”

On being able to return to the gym after surgery: “I was able to do things in the gym that I hadn’t done since I was in my 20s, and since I had my back fixed, I was able to strengthen it. That gave me new life. That gave me stability – almost like body armor, so to speak, that I had never had before.”

On his back fusion putting a new lease on his career: “Ever since I had my back fused, it’s like a new lease on life… I believe [Gunther vs. Orton] is the biggest match I’ve had since returning. You know, it’s crazy to say, but I feel like I’m still in my prime in the profession that I’m in. That really excites me.”

On his career longevity: “The amount of world championships that I’ve won, that does mean a lot, but I think after the doctors told me it was time to end my career a couple of years ago, in that moment, those titles didn’t mean much of anything. I wanted to just continue to do what I have passion for, and that’s getting in that ring and doing everything I can to get a reaction out of these fans. And I think the longevity to me is going to be a big part of my legacy. The fact that I’ve had more pay-per-view [appearances] than any WWE Superstar I can think of in 20 years. There’s no one around that’s going to touch any records for a very long time. When it comes to those kinds of statistics, my titles, the amount of times I’ve won… all that means a lot to me, don’t get me wrong, but I think longevity for me right now is the No 1.”

Randy Orton challenges Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship this weekend at WWE Bash in Berlin. The event will be held at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany on Saturday, August 31. It will be broadcast live on Peacock.