Randy Orton is reportedly in the relatively early stages of preparing to return to the ring for WWE after undergoing back surgery last year.
According to Fightful Select (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Orton hasn’t yet been cleared for in-ring action and isn’t taking bumps, but he is lifting weights, which has helped him get “huge.”
Fightful noted that Orton underwent a lower back fusion in May 2022, and while doctors have advised against a return to wrestling, The Viper is reportedly planning to resume his in-ring career nonetheless.
“The 43-year-old Orton has been out of action for over a year with his last match seeing him and Matt Riddle lose a WWE Tag Team Championship unification match to The Usos on the May 20, 2022, episode of SmackDown.
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After the match, The Usos attacked RK-Bro and put Orton through the announce table, effectively writing him off television.
Orton was a hugely popular babyface at the time he stepped away to get surgery, and he remains one of the most successful WWE Superstars of all time.
He has been world champion on 14 occasions, which ties him with Triple H and has been eclipsed only by John Cena and Ric Flair.
Being without Orton has left WWE without one of its biggest stars and draws, so any positive progress toward a return is good news from the company’s perspective.
It doesn’t sound like Orton is particularly close to making his return yet, but when and if the time comes, The Apex Predator will inject a huge amount of star power into the WWE product.”
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Roman Reigns has now been world champion for over 1,000 days, and there is no end in sight to his historic run.
When asked on First Take (h/t Upton) if The Rock or anyone else could put a stop to his dominance, Reigns said the following:
“I don’t see it. That’s what this last year has been. People coming from all over, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, they come from Hollywood, they come from other sports, Logan Paul. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m head and shoulders above everyone. It’s not even funny anymore.”
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Reigns has faced and beaten many of the top stars WWE has to offer during his 1,000-plus days as world champion, and he has reached his immense potential as a performer during that time as well.
WWE pushed him to the top before that, but it was often met with resistance due to the belief from a vocal part of the fanbase that WWE was making Reigns the face of the company without their blessing.
Since turning heel, aligning with Paul Heyman and becoming champion, however, Reigns has become undeniable and done with best work of his career in the ring and on the mic by a long shot.
In fact, it has gotten to the point where it is fair to question who can realistically beat Reigns and end his time as undisputed WWE universal champion.
One name that has been mentioned as a potential opponent for Reigns in recent years is The Rock, who is Roman’s real-life cousin.
While The Rock has not given any indication that he plans to return to WWE and wrestle Reigns, rumors have run rampant in recent years.
Reigns vs. The Rock remains the biggest possible dream match in wrestling, and Reigns commenting on the possibility of it happening at least keeps hope alive for fans to some degree.
Seth Rollins is the reigning WWE world heavyweight champion and one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling over the past decade, but he has aspirations to get involved with another sport in the future.
“I would love [to be an NFL analyst]. Any chance we get to talk about football. I am all about it.
“Obviously I’ve got a ways to go [in wrestling]. I’m hitting my prime right now, just hitting my stride, I got some time, but I would love to parlay into working with the NFL in some capacity. I’m just such a fan and it’s one of my only other real passions that I have time for. If anybody wants to have me on their show … I would love it.”
Rollins is among the best-known celebrity fans of the Chicago Bears, and his Bears-related tweets are a great source of anticipation for wrestling and football fans during the NFL season.
His trademark tweets are either, “I love football,” or “I hate football,” depending on whether the Bears won or lost that day.
Rollins has also been in celebrity fantasy football leagues along with WWE colleague The Miz, further underscoring his love for the sport.
As Rollins mentioned, he continues to fire on all cylinders in the world of pro wrestling at the age of 37, and he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down any time soon.
Given the success he and his wife, fellow WWE Superstar Becky Lynch, have enjoyed as wrestlers, though, it could give Rollins the luxury of pursuing other passions once he is done with wrestling.
For now, Rollins is focused on continuing to build his legacy in wrestling, and he can do so this weekend at SummerSlam when he puts the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Finn Balor.
