More details have been provided in regard to the nature of Randy Orton’s WWE contract.
One of the longest-serving employees on the roster, Orton has remained loyal to WWE throughout his professional wrestling career and has become one of the most decorated Superstars in the process.
The Viper would jokingly tease a move to AEW in 2019 when he posted an image of himself next to a sign which read “Elite Level.” However, Orton would re-sign with WWE shortly afterwards, which was also at the point where multiple talents were re-signed to big-money deals to prevent any conversations with AEW. As a result, many big names within the company reportedly have their current deals expiring in 2024. Depending on how WWE views Orton’s absence, The Viper may also be a part of that list.
As reported by Fightful Select, Orton’s current deal is set to expire in Autumn 2024, meaning there is approximately 1 year left on the current deal. However, as has been seen in the past, WWE can add injury time onto contracts to make up for the time the Superstar has been absent. In the case of Orton, who was out of action for 18 months, if injury time is added then it will take him until 2026. One company higher up told Fightful that they expect it to happen, but this is yet to be confirmed.
In regards to the long-term future of The Apex Predator, another higher-up stated that they “would be surprised” if Orton’s deal is not extended.
Randy Orton Exclusive To SmackDown
The December 1st edition of SmackDown focused on which brand would sign Orton to their roster, with Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis each pleading their cases in the main event of the show. The negotiations were interrupted by Paul Heyman, who advised that Orton stay on Raw before bringing out The Bloodline. Orton hit Jimmy Uso with an RKO and signed a SmackDown contract, followed up by another RKO to Aldis. Still feeling the effects of the RKO, Jimmy Uso continued to sell the attack after SmackDown went off the air.