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It’s still a bit surreal to see Adam Copeland, who was Edge for more than two decades in WWE, appear weekly on AEW programming. If you squint a little bit harder, though, you might be able to imagine someone even more synonymous with WWE: 14-time world champion Randy Orton, who only recently returned to the fray after 18 months on the shelf due to severe back issues.
Now open those eyes all the way back up, because Orton is almost certain to stay right where he is for the rest of his career. Sure, he made some noises about exploring his options a few years back, but he then ended up signing a multi-year deal to remain in WWE.
Orton’s current contract was believed to run out late next year, but as Fightful Select (subscription required) explains, the WWE policy of adding time to the deals of injured stars could have pushed that expiration date back quite a bit.
Orton’s original deal went at least until Fall of 2024, which would put him at about a year remaining. However, after missing nearly 18 months, WWE sources indicated there’s a distinct possibility that WWE could add “injury time” to Orton’s deal that would have him in the company until 2026.
Fightful couldn’t confirm that this has happened but its sources expect that it will. So why couldn’t Orton simply shop his services elsewhere come 2026?
He certainly could, but the Viper will be 46 by the spring of 2026 — a stunning reality for anyone who remembers him as the youngest world champion in WWE history back in the day. Orton’s back injuries were also considered so serious that his dad believed doctors may have advised him not to return to wrestling.
All of this is to say that it would be easier to imagine Orton to retire altogether than to pop up in another wrestling company. Never say never in wrestling, but the chances of seeing the Apex Predator hunting down unfamiliar prey seem pretty remote.