Randy Orton Appears to Suffer Injury During WWE House Show; Helped Out of Ring

Joseph Zucker @@JosephZuckerFeatured ColumnistDecember 30, 2019

World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton poses for photographers during the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Super Showdown event in the Saudi Red Sea port city of Jeddah late on January 7, 2019. (Photo by Amer HILABI / AFP) (Photo credit should read AMER HILABI/AFP via Getty Images)

AMER HILABI/Getty Images

Randy Orton suffered an apparent injury during a WWE house show Sunday in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

James Crummel of ABC27 News shared a photo of trainers tending to Orton in the ring:

James Crummel @jamescrummel
Minutes into his match against AJ Styles, Randy Orton is injured and can’t finish. He is now being helped to the back #WWEHershey https://t.co/Lr2It5ArRQ

While a mainstay of WWE programming, Orton has largely been shuffled around the midcard in recent months. He didn't take part in TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs earlier this month and represented Team Raw in a losing effort at Survivor Series in November.

In his last televised match, Orton defeated AJ Styles on the Dec. 16 edition of Raw.

The Viper had previously helped cost Styles the United States Championship, interfering in The Phenomenal One's title defense against Rey Mysterio.

The timing of Orton's injury could be costly.

The Royal Rumble pay-per-view is traditionally where WWE kicks off its proverbial Road to WrestleMania. The 2020 edition is less than a month away (Jan. 26) in Houston.

Were Orton to miss the Rumble, it could alter WWE's plans for him ahead of WrestleMania 36 in April.

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