Kurt Angle reveals how Randy Orton nearly retired from wrestling due to a back injury

Randy Orton is set to participate in tonight’s men’s WarGames match at Survivor Series (Nov. 25), marking his first in-ring appearance since May 2022. If he wrestles tonight, it will extend his streak to 21 consecutive years of competing in at least one match per year, showcasing his remarkable longevity in the sport.

During his absence, there were concerns about Orton having to retire due to a back injury. However, as he nears a return to the ring, former wrestling star Kurt Angle, who has experienced his own share of injuries, shared insights into Orton’s situation.

According to the latest episode of The Kurt Angle Show podcast:

“I’m just glad he did [return] because I was communicating with him for quite some time when he was out with the injury because Kim [Orton, Randy’s wife] and [Angle’s wife] Giovanna are best friends. He was telling me, ‘Hey, man, it’s not looking good. I don’t know how my back is going to heal if my back’s going to heal.’ So he was a little worried about it for a while and eventually it started to heal up and now I think he’s okay, but it was pretty serious for some time. They didn’t know [if Orton would return].”

Reports indicate that the 43-year-old Orton’s objective is to continue wrestling until he’s 50, a goal that Angle believes is within reach:

“Randy, he’s young, too. I mean he’s in his 40s, but he’s still pretty young. [Compared to] me and other guys that are wrestling like Sting in his 60s and Chris Jericho in his 50s. So yeah, he’s still young. He still has a good six or seven years if he stays healthy.”

The journey toward that milestone commences tonight.

H/t Fightful

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