WWE Night of Champions 2025 Aftermath: Randy Orton injury report after the gruesome King of the Ring final match
WWE Night of Champions 2025 was always going to be a dramatic show, and it main evented with the now well-past due King of the Ring match between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. Rhodes won, taking the King of the Ring title and a trip guaranteed at a world championship, but the focus soon turned to Orton with his health issues, and the Viper seemed to take a major injury to his back during the contest, setting the hearts of fans and WWE insiders a-flutter.
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Medical concerns over Randy Orton's back injury
Randy Orton sustained the injury early on in the match, immediately grabbing his lower back as he took a bad superplex from Orton. He was clearly in pain for the rest of the game, observers noted. This is especially horrifying because Orton just came back from being out of action for over a year with back problems.
The signs of discomfort were clear in Orton's ability to move, but he was still able to wrestle through the match.
During the second half of the match, he stayed away from high-impact moves and was also spotted speaking to referees on a few occasions. WWE has not confirmed this as of this writing, but backstage sources have indicated that he is likely being evaluated to assess the extent of the injury.
There is also talk that the injury is somehow part of the storyline, intended to garner sympathy for Orton or to write him off television for a couple of weeks.
But considering his actual history with neck injuries, fans are understandably worried this isn't just a work.
The storyline impact and SummerSlam implications
More than health issues that need a slew of treatment, the injury complicates WWE's larger story moving into SummerSlam. Before King of the Ring, Orton was seen as high on the list for a title push or major feud. Beyond himself, there's the prospect of the plans being affected for Cody Rhodes, who could have either faced him in a rematch or, perhaps, been involved in a tag-team twist.
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Even the conclusion of the match helped escalate the tension. Orton even tried to go for his former finisher, the Punt Kick, which WWE had stopped using due to it being too violent. But Rhodes replied, taking advantage of a spot where he had exposed the turnbuckle, and captured the victory. With Orton's wellness in question, all the fans have got WWE going through a huge decision. Will they embrace this injury to allow Orton's character to become an even more brutal version of The Viper? Or will these actual issues catch up to one of WWE's finest and afford them another extended time away from the ring?
One thing is for sure—the WWE Universe has been left with plenty of questions and few answers in the wake of Night of Champions.
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