Randy Orton Credits Matt Riddle For Allowing Him To Continue Wrestling Despite Shooting Pains

Prior to his return at Survivor Series on November 25, Randy Orton had been out of action for 18 months with a serious back injury that resulted in him needing to undergo back fusion surgery. Orton had been advised by doctors to retire but he has returned in excellent condition, something that has reportedly made WWE very happy. 

Orton would have had to take time off sooner than May 2022 if not for Matt Riddle, though, the 14-time world champion revealed on IMPAULSIVE. Orton admitted he would suffer from shooting pains down his legs and he was only able to wrestle for so long because Riddle would take the brunt of the physicality when they teamed together as RK-Bro. 

"I changed a lot of stuff off this last 18 months. I really needed the time. I had a lot of ailments. I couldn't stand for more than a couple of minutes without having pain shoot down my legs. When I would sit I would have a disc that was slipping every time I would bend. On a plane, sitting here, my feet would go numb and I would have pain shooting down my legs. It was hard," Orton said.

"That last year before I had to leave because of the back, I was in a tag team with former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle. I got to give him props because that year we tagged together, I was not able to be in that ring unless I was in there with someone like him because he was able to take the brunt of the physicality... if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have made it that far," he continued.

"I had some great doctors, they fixed me up right, they didn't cut through any muscle which would enable me to get back in the ring. Because once you start cutting muscle, like that's never gonna heal back [and] you're done. I'm just blessed all the way around."

Orton and Riddle teamed together as RK-Bro, becoming two-time Raw Tag Team Champions. Riddle was fired by WWE in September 2023 after running out of chances within the company.

H/T WrestlingNews.co