For quite some time, it looked like Randy Orton's WWE career was over. After undergoing major back and spine surgery, there were doubts about whether The Viper could step back into the ring again.
Thankfully, he returned at Survivor Series: WarGames and looked better than ever. He's since wrestled in a couple of matches and most definitely still has it. Recently, Orton caught up with fellow WWE Superstar Logan Paul on his Impaulsive podcast and explained why it was always his plan to find a way to wrestle again.
In fact, it sounds like he's feeling better than ever!
"I’m like the only guy that’s never left and come back, other than John Cena. I’m going to be here for the rest...this is me. I’m not moving on to Hollywood. I love what I do. I just had 18 months off recovering from spinal fusion. I was kind of faced with the fact that I might not be able to do this again."
"It’s almost like I got a second lease on my career here. I’m not going to take a day for granted. Not a second in that ring for granted. Even now, more so than the matches you would have seen a year ago when you first started or a couple years ago, I’m feeling even more in my element now."
Orton went on to explain how his injury affected him before surgery and credited Matt Riddle - who was released by WWE earlier this year - for helping him work around that during their memorable stint as a tag team.
"I changed a lot of stuff off these last 18 months. I really needed the time. I had a lot of ailments. I couldn’t stand for more than a couple minutes without having pain shoot down my legs. When I would sit, I had a disc slipping every time I would bend. On a plane, sitting here, my feet would go numb and I had pain shooting down my legs. It really sucked. It was really hard."
"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 have to give him props because that year we tagged together, I was not able to be in the ring unless i was in there with someone like him. He was able to take the brunt of the physicality. He tagged me in, I come in, do my sh*t. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have made it that far."
"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. Once you start cutting muscle, that’s never going to heal back. You’re done. I’m blessed, all the way around."
It sounds like the former WWE Champion was put through the wringer, making the fact he was able to return all the more impressive and miraculous. How much longer Orton will be able to compete at this level is hard to say, though it doesn't sound like he has any intentions of going anywhere just yet.
You can watch the full interview in the player below.