orton out for 6 months

It was announced at tonight's Smackdown house show in Detroit that Randy Orton will be out for six months. Refunds were offered to anyone who wanted to get them at the show.
Credit: Wrestling Observer

According to The Wrestling Observer, the Randy Orton injury was a pre-existing injury. Orton has been protected in recent outings, since about December 19th, so that he would not have to do too much physically on TV. At this point, the plan looks to be to move one of the Raw matches to the Smackdown tour to help fortify the lineups starting tonight.

That's huge news. I was fully expecting him to challenge Mark Henry for the world title at Wrestlemania. I'm still not convinced WWE is behind Daniel Bryan as a top babyface on Smackdown, despite giving him the belt recently, and I don't think they would put Big Show in the title match at WM28 unless it's a multi-man match; it'll be really interesting to see whether this works in Bryan's favour or if someone else steps up into the role of Smackdown's number one babyface.

WWE announced earlier that he will be out for 6 weeks top didn't they?

Surprise entry in the rumble methinks

WWE.com is reporting a few weeks.

yeah yesterday that went up

I'd be amazed if Mark Henry was anywhere near the World Title match at WrestleMania, he'll be in a 3 minute match to get his cheque as a thank you and that'll be that from him in any kind of main event role other than any future multiman matches

Maybe Sheamus will step into the breach...

Looks like a work and smells like a work

My only problem is that if it truly is a work then why did the WWE themselves choose to spoil their SD main event? Why not wait until it's aired before .com runs the story

To encourage people to watch, maybe, just to see the injury happen?

That is probably the reason to be honest, it's the same when they have had title changes on Smackdown and then advertise it on WWE.com before the show is shown so that people watch.

It's strange.

The thing is, was Orton meant to genuinely fall down the stairs or did he want to make it look like he did and end up doing himself in?

Just watched SD well some of it, the part with Barrett/Orton as well. The cameraman delays by about 5 seconds before heading through the door to where Barrett and Orton are at the top of the stairs, enough time for Orton to run out of sight down a few stairs out of sight then at most tumble 3 stairs or so.

Could put money on him coming out at no 40 and winning the RR

I'd go for number 30. It's gone back to that this year

It's gone back to 30? Well that's good news, I was never a fan of the idea of a 40-man rumble. Just adds 10 more people who definitely aren't going to win it.

I'm pretty sure it has. 95% sure it's been confirmed.

Why does everyone think it's a given he's winning the Rumble because it's in his home town?

I think it's more than that.

He has been out of the main event scene for a bit now, feuding with Cody Rhodes and now Wade Barrett. It seems likely he could get a mega push. It also seems a bit more likely that it'd be a Smackdown star to win the Rumble this year because The Rock vs. John Cena may have the world title on it.

All in all, he's probably the strongest bet to win it. I could see The Miz, Sheamus, Barrett or even CM Punk winning it as well.

I wouldn't rule out Del Rio again either. I know people say he's lost momentum, which he undoubtedly has, but WWE seemed so behind him last year (rumble, mitb, 2 wwe title reigns) that I feel it would be wrong to completely count him out of the main event scene just yet.

I'd love an "up and comer" to win it. Orton doesn't need it. Someone like Barrett, Rhodes or Ziggler. Maybe even The Miz.