By John Christopher Aquino
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) veteran Randy Orton expressed heartbreak over Kevin Owens’ absence from the upcoming WrestleMania 41 due to a neck injury.
During an interview with Complex, Orton highlighted Owens’ injury and expressed dismay that his bitter rival must undergo surgery.
“If we’re being real here, my heart breaks for Kevin. I think, first and foremost, I just hate that he’s gotta go through that,” stated Orton, who was initially set to face Owens at the Las Vegas event.
“Even more than a physical journey, he’s gotta go on to let his body heal. It’s a mental journey too. His body’s been through it, and now he’s paying that price, like he said in the ring the other day. We all pay the price at one point or another,” the 14-time world champion added.
Orton addresses his own struggles
Owen’s situation is a familiar scenario for Orton, who has faced numerous injuries and undergone multiple surgeries throughout his career.
The most notable one was back in 2022, when he had to go on hiatus for more than a year due to a back injury.
During that time, Orton’s future as a performer was uncertain.
“There wasn’t a lot of help other than surgery, and I think that when I finally was told that it was time to hang up the boots – this is about six months before my operation – my world ended,” Orton said.
‘The Viper’ eventually returned to the ring in November 2023, when he appeared in Survivor Series with a drastically-improved physique.
READ MORE: WWE News: Kevin Owens out of WrestleMania due to neck injury
Optimistic despite the situation
Orton said that he was optimistic about his place at WrestleMania 41 despite not having an opponent.
“I think that the star power that Randy Orton has in the professional wrestling world or bubble or whatever you want to call it, I think that it would be a shame if I wasn’t somehow put in a position where I can at least hit an RKO at WrestleMania.” he said.
“My hopes would be that we are able to make some sense of something and get people invested.”
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