WWE Star Randy Orton Opens Up About 'New Outlook' After More Than A Decade Of Pain

Randy Orton made his long-awaited return at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames last November after spending well over a year on the shelf due to a combination of back injuries. Orton has recently spent considerable time discussing the severity of his injuries, including in a recent conversation with WrestleRant, where he elaborated on how bad things got before stepping away in May 2022.

"That decade from 2010 to 2020, man — I was in pain that whole time," Orton said. "Now, after everything's said and done, the surgery was a success. I put on 30 pounds of muscle purely because of my change in diet and the fact that I was able to train differently and harder in areas that I had to leave alone for such a long time."

At 275 lbs. right now, Orton stated that he's at his ideal weight. The future of Orton's career was in doubt for some time, but the veteran seems confident he'll be able to continue wrestling for the foreseeable future. Though he acknowledged that it may make some roll their eyes, the 43-year-old said that he feels as though he's right in the middle of his prime as a wrestler.

"I've got a new outlook," Orton continued. "I don't want to take a second for granted, because I've realized how quickly it can all be taken away — because it almost was."

Following his return, Orton feuded with The Bloodline, which included taking part in a Fatal Four-Way at the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the line. After losing there, Orton qualified for the Men's Elimination Chamber match, which took place this past Saturday. However, once again, Orton was unable to walk away victorious. Based on what took place there, a feud against WWE United States Champion Logan Paul seems likely for Orton's immediate future.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WrestleRant with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.